Annabeth Chase and the Olympus Institution For Troubled Youth
by Peeta Melark
Summary: After a rough patch with her family, Annabeth is sent to the "Olympus Institution For Troubled Youth," a place that is really as welcoming as the name suggests. On her first day, she meets a boy named Percy Jackson, a boy she is determined not to like, but his charm is irresistible. After they meet, however, her year takes a dark turn for the very worse.
1. Chapter 1

**Annabeth**

I pushed open the green doors expecting something horrible to come flying at me. At my last school, it had been a shoe. Instead, I was greeted with the most glorious empty hall I had ever seen in my life. Seriously, there was no one there! Cautiously, I closed the door behind me and started toward my locker, all the while staring and the crumpled paper map in my hands. Locker 665 was on the 6th floor between locker 664 and 666…. Friendly. The elevator would take me to the fifth floor and possibly the third floor, but I was on my own before, between and after that. There were eleven floors total. Oh well. My last school didn't _have_ an elevator.

The clock said 12:30 pm, which wasn't right because my watch told me it was 7:15 am. As I walked down the dark hall, a couple of kids trailed in behind me. One was a burly girl with stringy brown hair and mean eyes. Another looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. His hair was tousled and there were dark circles under his eyes. Jeez. My dad must have really wanted me gone to send me to a place like this.

_The Olympus Institute For Troubled Youth_ was a huge deal, hence the italicized name. It ranked number four on the top-twenty list of schools to send your basket case offspring to, and was described as "a wonderful, rich environment with wonderful, rich academics and unique students." It was also a boarding school. Wow. Either the ranking had been wrong or the school's standards had seriously dropped.

"Annabeth Chase?" inquired a cold voice. I jumped, turning to see a woman with high cheekbones, sunken eyes and a severe face. She grasped a clipboard in her thin fingers. I nodded.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Hmm," she hummed, not really looking at me. "Are you lost, Miss Chase?"

I shook my head hurriedly. "No, ma'am. I was just going to my—"

"Locker?"

"Yes."

"Come with me."

She didn't wait for a reply before turning down the hall and trundling me into the elevator. Man, it was a creepy one. Sure, elevators were creepy in general, but this one was special. The walls were made of dirty metal and there was hardly any light at all. The numbers on the buttons were all but rubbed off and I _swore_ there was blood on the railing. Or maybe it was pizza sauce. Either way, it was freaky. It creaked as it moved and it was nearly an eternity before it groaned to a stop on the fifth floor. That's what decided my employment of and to the stairs.

"Quickly, Miss Chase," said the woman. "I don't have all day."

She led me down an even darker, grimier hall than the first one and shoved me gracelessly in front of the longest line of lockers I had ever seen. Mine was right near the middle, mashed up between 664 and 666. Locker 664 was covered in stickers, mostly of surfboards and soccer balls. On the top-left corner was a trident. Next to that there was a nametag reading: _Hello. My name is Perseus Jackson. _Ugh. Locker 666 was a sight to behold. Instead of a nametag, there was what must have looked like a name at some point _carved_ into the chipping blue paint. A huge dent disfigured the middle and there was blood (or pizza sauce… maybe red paint) on the lock. Sighing, I turned to my own locker. It had been painted hot pink at some point, but that was almost all gone. Instead, it was just fragments of blue paint with the original metal showing through. I pulled out my combination and tried my best to follow the numbers and turning patterns. No luck. At about the fifth try, a pale hand reached over my shoulder and pushed the lock up. There was a click and it fell open. I spun around.

"What the hell?"

The offender was a boy maybe two or three years younger than I was. He had black, curly hair and unnervingly large, dark brown eyes. With a start, I realized he was the same sleep-deprived kid I had seen earlier. He must have been the owner of locker 666.

"Works better if you do that," he explained, his voice just barely a mumble. He didn't look at me again as he opened his own locker, shoving his bag into it and pulling out a heavy book. It was completely in Italian and looked like it could easily be a thousand pages long. Off of my stare, he said, "My family's really Italian," and slammed the locker shut.

"Hey, Nico!" This voice belonged to a boy my age: seventeen. He was tall and tan with sea green eyes and black hair, kind of like Nico's. Nico's hair, however, looked dry and brittle. This guy's looked really, really soft. He was, much to my chagrin, _incredibly_ cute. He turned to me. "S'up?"

I waved shyly. Nico shifted his weight uncomfortably.

"This is Annabeth," he told the cute guy. I wanted to ask how he knew my name. "Annabeth, this is Percy."

Somehow, I got the feeling he didn't want to introduce me to Percy. His voice was dry and slightly hoarse.

"Nice to meet you, Annabeth," Percy said, leaning easily against his locker. His eyes narrowed, fixed on mine. "You know… you've got _great_ eyes."

I laughed, blushing. "Thanks."

Percy chuckled too. "You're cute when you laugh!" he said. Was he always this forward? To tell the truth, _he_ was cute when he laughed. I grimaced.

"Yeah, but I bet you drool in your sleep."

Percy's laugh died on his lips. He looked offended. _Good_, I thought. There was something about him that threw me off. Maybe it was the school, maybe it was his friend Nico, but something was off about him. He lacked certain _finesse_, and I was all about finesse. My last boyfriend had been the very image of it: courteous, kind to my parents—well, my dad… stepmother doesn't count in my books—and he always held the door for me. This Percy guy was the opposite. I guessed he'd hold the door for me, but I didn't think he was as, well, poised as he was good looking. And I hated the ocean. He was all about the ocean. His backpack, which could have belonged to my eight-year-old stepbrother, was covered in dolphins and killer whales. His arm was littered with smudgy doodles of starfish and waves. His entire _demeanor_ screamed "SURFER!" I was a wisdom girl myself, and the sea didn't seem very wise to me.

"I'm going to class," Nico grumbled. He glanced at Percy. "Text me when you're done hitting on whatshername."

Yup. I'd made a great impression with Nico. Percy grinned and I thought his whole face might fall apart.

"Sure, Zombie Dude!" he called after his friend. Then to me, he said, "Sorry about Nico. His dad's kind of mean and his mother's kind of dead."

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" I meant it. "What… sorry… What happened?"

Percy frowned. I could tell he felt guilty sharing this with me.

'There was, um, an explosion. His mother didn't get out on time. He was in foster care for a while with his older sister. When she died…" He paused. "An accident on the train, I think… Well, he went to live with his dad, Hades, who's not the nicest guy in town."

My eyes narrowed. "His dad's name is _Hades?" _ I asked. "You're kidding, right?"

Percy shook his head. "Nope. We've all got 'godly' parents here. My dad's name is Poseidon. He's never around, though. My mum brought me up."

"Oh."

"So..." He propped himself up with his elbow. "What's your family like?"

I glanced at the clock, wincing. Another five minutes and I'd be late to class! "I don't know," I lied. "My dad's okay, I guess. I hate my stepmother and my real mother's gone. For all I know she's dead."

He studied me. "Was her name Athena?" he asked. I gasped.

"How did you—"

A laugh. "Just a wild guess." He leaned closer to me. "It's the grey eyes, Wise Girl."

"Wise Girl?" I sputtered. "Wait, you're giving me a _nickname_ now?"

Percy smirked. "Why not? You're one of us now, aren't you?" As I was about to leave, he called me back. "Have fun in Chem class, okay?"

By that point, he was bordering on creepy. How the hell did he know my schedule and how did he seem to know everything around here? What, was he king of popularity? With a friend like Nico, I didn't think that was possible. Still, the now crowded hallway seemed to part before him, like he was some kind of hero or legend.

_Whatever_, I decided. Chemistry awaited and the bell was about to ring. I picked up my books and raced down the hall, anxious to start my day and forget about the weird guy with the green eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

Of course, it wasn't that easy to forget about Percy Jackson. As I learned quickly, he was _always_ at his locker. Even when I left Chemistry to use—or rather _search for_—the bathroom, he was in front of his locker! Usually, he was peeling and re-sticking stickers to it, often removing the paint from it in the process. Sometimes, he even used cinnamon chewing gum (probably stolen from Nico) to keep the stickers in place. Yeah. I wasn't getting rid of him any time soon. When I went to get me books for the next class, he was ready to throw a thousand questions at me. Did I like class? What was my next class? Math? Oh, too bad. Had I made any friends? Was it selfish of him to be glad that I hadn't? Yes, I told him. It was. Percy didn't really seem to mind.

Nico was at the lockers too sometimes. But he didn't stick around. Usually, whenever he saw me, he skedaddled. Sometimes, he'd stay to glare at me. I got the feeling he didn't _really_ hate me. He was just jealous, not used to having another person around.

Round about the second week of school, I met Thalia. Thalia was my roommate. She was a slender girl with choppy black (blue streaked) hair and electric blue eyes. We were friends from the moment she walked through the door.

"Hey," she said. I looked up from my calculus homework. "You're Annabeth?"

I nodded. "That's me."

"Cute," she smiled. "I like your hair."

Instinctively, I reached for it, feeling the familiar, messy bun. "Thanks. Yours too."

She laughed, running a hand dramatically through her hair. "Gracias, friend." She sat down on the bed across from mine, sighing contentedly. "Ah, it's good to be back. You know, I ran into Nico in the hall and managed to swindle a hug from him! Nothing's changed, really."

"Nico?" I asked. "I think he hates me."

Thalia's laugher was like the tinkling of tiny bells combined with someone beating a soup pot with a really heavy spoon. She clapped her hands together in front of her mouth and cried, "Oh my gods!"

"Huh?"

"He doesn't hate you!" she protested. "He just takes some getting used to. In his glory days—age ten, really—we all _hated_ him. He was always bouncing around screaming about Mythomagic. It took us forever to shut him up. Then his mother died and his sister died a couple of months later, so yeah. He's kind of a dismal kid. Met Percy yet?"

It astonished me how lightly she spoke of Nico's family and how easily she changed the subject. I could tell she was going to be both a blessing and a curse. But still I could feel a friendship forming. I sighed, trying to ignore the heat in my face.

"I met him," I admitted. "I'm sandwiched between his and Nico's lockers."

Thalia cackled. "You mean the one with the dent in it and the one with the surfboard stickers? You, my girl, have some terrible luck. Cute, isn't he?" She was being sarcastic.

"Cute," I agreed. Thalia's blue eyes narrowed. She made a humming noise in the back of her throat.

"Anyways," she continued on like I was already her best friend. "Nico's Mr. Gloom and Percy's Mr. Sunshine. I've always thought Nico was a bit—" She stopped, chuckling. "Never mind what _I_ think. I want to hear all about _you_."

Wow. She was overwhelming and wonderful. This was exactly what I needed to feel at home: a new friend, one who was chipper and smart like Thalia. There was no _way_ I was ruining it.

"I'm not really interesting," I said. Smooth, Annabeth. "My dad and stepmother are kind of annoying. Shipped me off to boarding school so they could keep me away from their kids. Didn't want me corrupting them with calculus and physics, now would we?"

"I hate physics," Thalia mused. "Please continue."

Funny, I thought, that we should be roommates. I _liked_ physics and Thalia hated it. I liked calculus and architecture. I was pretty sure Thalia didn't. Within minutes, she had hung up posters of various rock and metal bands and put black and bright blue sheets and blankets on her bed. Her wardrobe consisted of black and grey, maybe some blue, and a _lot_ of chains. She was punkish and gothic and really cool. I was Miss Jeans and Button-Down Blouses. My wardrobe had the occasional dress and very few heeled shoes (most without the other shoe). I was simple; Thalia was dramatic. I felt close to her already. She was great.

She chattered on and on about her classes and the people she really wanted to beat up. Unsurprisingly, Nico was on the list. She called him 'di Angelo,' which I could only assume was his last name. Fitting, I thought.

"He's such a gloomy guy," she told me. "I wish he'd lighten up. The only person he apparently seems to talk to is my brother Jason. Now, I _love_ my brother Jason, but I don't get why Nico's talking to _him_. Jason's one of those popular, sports-y guys and Nico's got this rebel thing going on, and it just doesn't make any sense." She filed her nails lazily into points. "Apparently he's got this big secret, di Angelo, but my brother won't tell me what it is. I bet he has a crush on Dare."

"Dare?" I inquired. Thalia barely looked up from her nails.

"Yeah. Rachel Elizabeth. Know her?"

Unsurprisingly, I did not. Great. Another name I was going to have to put a face to. "Is she nice?"

Thalia snorted. "Nice? Yeah. She's one of those artsy kids—the ones who spend most of their time in the art room. Painter, I think. She's got red hair and some holes poked in her jeans."

I looked at Thalia's ripped up jeans and smiled. She was really one to talk. Speaking of which, she talked an awful lot. Not that I minded. I liked being around someone as talkative as Thalia. It reminded me that some people were actually worth listening to. Sneakily, I turned my eyes back to the textbook in front of me, picking up my pencil as slowly as possible.

"Oh!" Thalia said. She had taken out a bottle of black nail polish and was brushing it across her pointy nails. "Don't mind me—keep studying."

I did. Thalia continued to paint her nails, alternating bright blue and shiny black polish. When she was done, she let them dry and shoved herself out of bed. Slowly, like there was all the time in the world to relax, she took out a radio and plugged it into the wall. Immediately, loud music blared from it. She blushed, clicking a couple of buttons and holding her breath. The music turned classical, much to my relief. Thalia, however, grimaced.

"I hear it helps you study," she groaned. "Personally, I don't get why."

"I like it," I confessed. "It's nice. Kind of slow and soft."

Thalia huffed. "_Too_ soft."

Honestly, I was starting to think Thalia and I were polar opposites. Then she asked, "Do you know Luke?"

I was caught off guard. "Castellan?"

"Him," she nodded. "Blond, cute, sweet."

My eyes narrowed slightly. "Cute?" I hadn't really thought of Luke like that, but now that she mentioned it… He _was_ cute. Oh no… I couldn't have a crush on _two_ boys!

"Yeah. But I'm part of the Hunters, so he's not really for me, but you might like him."

"I do."

"You know him?" she asked. 'Oh yeah. He mentioned you once—said you were adorable or something."

I blushed involuntarily. Luke thought I was adorable? Groaning, I turned my attention back to the textbook in front of me. Thalia started to tell me about the Hunters. They were a girl group or something. Their mission statement was to strengthen the female school community.

"They're really mean," Nico muttered when I asked him and Percy about it later. "Bianca was part of their group. She all but abandoned me for a year. Then she d-died." He was continuing by reflex, not because he wanted to. "She was on the train and it s-stopped in the middle of the tunnel. The engine blew up, k-killing everyone t-there. They couldn't find her body." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a little gold figurine. "But they found this. It had a note. All they could make out through the blood was my name. G-gave it to me."

I was silent. Now Nico's gaunt appearance made perfect sense to me. The way he rolled the figure around in his hands, running his fingers over its face like he wanted to rub it off. His skeletal arms were very white in the gloom of the hallway.

Percy cut in. "So, uh, Nico. What're you doing for lunch today?"

Nico snarled angrily. "I don't eat lunch, remember?"

Percy furrowed his brow. I did too. "But lunch is important!" he cried. "You need to eat lunch!"

Nico shrugged passively. "I ate breakfast."

"What, a grape?"

"A piece of toast, thank you," Nico spat. "I don't need you to babysit me, okay?" He slumped against his locker, muttering something I couldn't hear. "I'm going to class." He stalked off.

Percy winked at me. "What are _you_ doing for lunch, Wise Girl?" he asked. Though I wouldn't admit it, I was definitely in love.


	3. Chapter 3

I turned down Percy's lunch offer, a decision I'd probably regret for years to come. Instead, I decided to hang out with Thalia in our room. She was reading one of my textbooks, looking like she'd never seen a book before, much less one with equations and educational content. Her hair was shoved back with a headband, and her nails were already chipping, like she'd been picking at them. She stabbed at them with a plastic fork, letting the chips of polish fall on the pristine, white tabletop. I did my very best not to let it bother me, but I wanted to grab a napkin and sweep them away. Eventually, Thalia looked up and started pointing out the different kids in the cafeteria.

Clarisse was the stocky, brown haired girl I had seen on my first day. I was given one warning: don't mess with her or she would personally smack me with a desk.

Will Solace: a chipper blonde with wicked aim. He could out-shoot anyone in archery and he could throw a spitball with deadly accuracy. A great kid to sit next to in History class, Thalia said.

The strawberry blonde girl with the flowery headband was Katie Gardner. Pretty and _incredibly_ aware of the environment, she was leader of the Garden Club and the Clean Planet Club. Her boyfriend, Connor, was the class clown along with his brother Travis. Both were average height, skinny and had pointed noses and arched eyebrows. Their brown hair was tousled as if they'd just woken up from a good night's sleep.

Then there was Jason: Thalia's brother. From what I could tell, he was a big sweetheart. He sat with his girlfriend Piper and their friends Leo, Hazel and Frank. He was tall and blond and muscular with a babyish face and a scar on his chin.

"He tried to eat a stapler," Thalia explained. "Unfortunately, I don't think he's gotten much brighter over the years."

"How can you say that?" I asked without hesitation. Thalia shrugged.

"Barely know him," was the simple reply. "When he was two, our mum died, leaving just me and him. We were sent to different foster homes. Eventually, we were both adopted. Just last year, he came to this school and there was this big, huggy reunion. So far as I know, he's still that kid who tried to eat a stapler."

Thalia's confession left me feeling kind of empty. I sat in silence for a while, looking from her to her brother and back to her. She resumed picking at her nail polish with the fork, but I could tell the story had taken something out of her. She loved her brother; that much was clear. But for some odd reason she seemed shy to admit it. A thought nibbled at the back of my brain—a thought very much related to Nico di Angelo. Was it the Hunters? Nico had said Bianca abandoned him for them… what if Thalia did the same thing to Jason?

"I did," Thalia cut in to my meditation. "Whatever you're thinking about me, it's probably all true."

Her voice was bitter, something I hadn't noticed before. I decided to drop the subject and she was more than happy to oblige. In a moment, she was back on track, pointing kids out and telling me all about them.

"That." She pointed to a black-haired girl who could easily have been a supermodel. "Is Silena. She's probably the nicest girl you'll meet and also _gorgeous_. Her boyfriend died in a train wreck last year—eerily similar circumstances to the ones that killed Bianca."

She looked sad as she mentioned Bianca's name.

"I told you not to talk about her," said a dangerously soft voice. Nico di Angelo was sitting next to me. I jumped up, scrambling to keep my milk carton from spilling everywhere. Gods, was Nico _always_ like that?

Thalia grimaced. "Chill, dude," she scoffed. "I'm not delving into the details of your sister's death."

Nico winced and I wanted to slap Thalia. It was almost as if she was bullying Nico! And I wanted to be her friend so badly that I couldn't even step in. Plus, Nico would probably kill me if I did.

"Good," he spat. "Have you seen Percy anywhere?"

Thalia's eyes softened understandingly. "No, I haven't. Why?"

Nico's shoulders tensed. "No reason. He owes me a pencil."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Doesn't owe you Mythomagic cards?" Thalia was trying to be funny, but her jokes were mean and falling terribly flat.

"I'm _done_ with Mythomagic." Nico stood abruptly. "And I'm not hungry anymore."

A look of panic crossed Thalia's face. She grabbed his elbow, pulling him back down, and shoved her tray in front of him.

"Here," she said. "You can have it. I'm done anyways."

Sourly, Nico poked the sloppily made peanut butter and jelly sandwich with Thalia's knife. With a heavy sigh, she ripped off a piece and held it out to him. He took it and held it uncertainly before nibbling delicately on the end. In any other circumstance, it would have been adorable, but Nico was too skinny and too sad. After about ten minutes, Thalia had managed to make him eat the sandwich and have a carton of milk.

"Good for your bones," she told him.

I got up and left, mostly because I wanted to look for Percy Jackson. The first place I looked was the lockers. He wasn't there. I checked the classrooms, though I'm not entirely sure _why_, and I even knocked on the door to the boy's bathroom. Finally, I found him in the yard—or "playground" as some called it. He was bouncing a basketball, his eyes fixed on the goal. With deadly precision, he tossed the ball. It sailed through the air and fell through the hoop without even touching the rim.

"Nice," I said. Percy jumped.

"Thanks." He looked at me, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Sorry I'm such a mess."

"S'okay," I assured him, trying to sound casual. He was visibly relieved. "How did you learn to do that?"

Percy laughed. I blushed. He had a really cute smile. Then he straightened his posture and shrugged.

"Practice," he said. "And lots of emotional trauma."

I sat down. "Trauma?"

Percy made a face. "Yeah. When I was twelve, my mum was hit by a car. I didn't find out she was alive until three weeks later. My stepdad knew, but he made me believe she was dead. He did it because he hated me."

Instinctively, I reached out for his hand. He let me hold it. "That's awful!"

"He's dead now," Percy said. "Hit by a car on his way to work. Karma."

"Karma," I echoed glumly. Percy changed the subject.

"How're you liking your classes?" he asked, grinning. His eyes were still sad, but I didn't comment on it. "I hear you're really smart. I've got spies everywhere, you know."

I thought I might hit him. Instead, I kissed him. His lips were warm and gis hair smelled like the sea. He was _very_ surprised. For a moment or two, he flailed his arms, not really sure where to put them. Then he rested them on my shoulders. It wasn't a long kiss, and I pushed him away almost instantly. As I ran toward the doors, I heard him calling, "Annabeth, wait!" But it was too late. I was already gone.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, Percy wasn't at his locker. Nico wouldn't tell me anything except that Percy wasn't feeling well. He was staying in his room, which was a place I—being a girl—couldn't go. When I tried to coax more out of him, he slammed his locker shut and gave me the scariest look I had ever seen.

"Leave me alone, okay?" he cried. "Percy's sick! I don't know any more!"

He stalked off, leaving me in a state of shock. For the six weeks that I'd been in school, Nico had been gloomy, but he'd never been _malicious_. Somehow, as soon as I'd hurt Percy, he was ready to kill me. As I watched his disappearing back, I wondered what it was that made him so upset? Was it that Percy was upset, or was it the fact that I had kissed Percy? Sighing, I pushed those thoughts away and retrieved my calculus textbook. Gods, I hated this place.

**O~O~O**

At lunch, I saw Nico di Angelo and Jason Grace talking at a deserted table. Nico looked uncomfortable, desperate to get away. Jason wouldn't give up. Part of me wanted to rescue Nico, but I knew he wouldn't thank me for it.

"Hey, Annabeth!" It was Thalia. She looked like Christmas had come early. "Annabeth, guess what?"

I sat down next to her, slamming my tray on the table. She didn't notice, or if she did, she was really good at keeping a straight face.

"I can't," I said. "I can't guess."

Thalia shrugged, only mildly disappointed. She launched herself head first into a long speech about how Percy was moping in his room over some girl. He wouldn't say who it was, but I knew it was me. Guilt stabbed my heart. Still, I felt weird listening to her talk about me without knowing it was really me.

I wondered what Percy was doing. In my mind's eye, I saw him sitting on an ocean blue bed, leaning against the wall with his knees tucked up to his chest and his elbows resting across them. I could imagine the pain in his eyes as he struggled to think of what he had done wrong. His brow was probably furrowed, I guessed, and he would be tapping his foot on the mattress.

"Thalia," I started. She looked up from her nails.

"Yeah?"

"It's me," I whispered brokenly. Confusion flickered through her eyes.

"Huh?"

"The girl Percy's upset about. It's me."

I knew she understood because her eyes got as big as flying saucers. She gasped. "No!"

I nodded miserably. "Yeah. Did he tell you what she did? She… I… kissed him and then ran away."

Thalia winced, slapping her forehead with a slightly sweaty palm. "Ooh. Percy's _really_ sensitive when it comes to rejection. Why'd you do it?"

That was the problem. I didn't know why. I thought at first that I felt sorry for him. His story had been so horrible that I'd just _had_ to kiss him—kiss some of that hurt away. Then I thought that maybe I didn't like him as much as I had originally thought, so I ran away. But the creeping guilt was enough to prove otherwise. And the blush that stung my face was too. I hadn't kissed him out of pity. I'd kissed him because I liked him. I didn't just like him; I was pretty sure I loved him.

"I… Because I… He's cute." It was dumb, but it was all that I could think of.

"That's _all_?" Thalia asked. I shook my head dumbfoundedly.

"I like him," I admitted.

"Then go for it!" she cried. "Percy'll understand, and if he doesn't, _I'll_ talk to him."

I laughed, feeling only slightly better. Thalia clapped me on the shoulder.

"Thanks," I said.

"Go get him," she replied, winking.

**O~O~O~O**

I couldn't go into Percy's room, but I could wait by the lockers. Eventually, he had to show up to re-stick the stickers or something. It was almost two hours, though, before he did. When he saw me, he started to turn around again, but I stopped him.

"Percy, wait!"

He looked at me. "Why should I? You didn't."

There wasn't much I could say. "I know."

Percy laughed suddenly, harshly. "Oh, you do?" A pause. "Do you?"

I shuffled my feet. "Yeah, I do."

"You want to talk about it?" he half guessed.

"Yeah. May I?"

"You know, Annabeth. You could have talked yesterday. Why'd you do it?"

He had me there. I had no _idea_ why I'd run away. I tried to explain, but everything I said fell horribly flat. Eventually, Percy had an idea. He thought I'd run away because of past relationship problems. He was wrong, but at the same time, he was right. My last boyfriend had been poised and polite, but he hadn't been the most emotional of people. Every time I tried to do something special, I was brushed off. It got to the point where I stopped trying. Then again, I wasn't the most romantic of people either. I preferred books to hugs.

"Either that, or you're a total jerk, and I _refuse_ to believe that one."

I laughed wholeheartedly. Percy did too. His face lit up. He looked like a Greek god. As if echoing my thoughts, he said,

"You look like a goddess."

"You too," I said. "You look like a god, I mean. Not a goddess. Sorry."

Percy shrugged. "Nah. Its cool. I get what you're trying to say."

"Let's just stay friends," I said. Percy stepped back.

"Wait, what?"

"Friends. You and I. Let's be friends, okay?"

Percy frowned. "But… I thought we _were_ friends already."

The heartbreak in his voice was apparent as he nodded, agreeing. I wanted to bite back everything I said, but it was too late. Percy leaned against his locker, just as he had the first day of school. My heart thumped in my chest. Simultaneously, we leaned forward, our lips meeting in fireworks. Percy grinned.

"What was that about being friends?"

"Shut up," I told him.

**A/N: Sorry this chapter was so… void of any real struggle. But I was in a really sappy mood. I just don't want Annabeth to be your stereotypical High School Story Girl archetype. Oh well. Any suggestions as to where I should go with this story?**

**As the ****_Buffy_**** song says: "Where do we go from here?"**


	5. Chapter 5

Percy and I stayed just friends…sort of. I guess the kiss in front of the lockers was enough to convince him that it was for the best. We sat next to each other at lunch, remarking playfully on each other's choices in food. Percy always ate a cheeseburger with bacon and fries while I almost always ate a salad with chicken.

"Who eats that?" he asked. "Are you on a diet? 'Cause I think you look fine!"

I glanced at him and turned my eyes deliberately toward his burger. He stuffed a bite in his mouth and chewed slowly, apparently relishing every last molecule. Making a face, I turned away.

"This is brain food," I explained. "That's… I don't know _what_ that is."

Percy bounced in his seat. I'd come to know him as _extremely_ ADHD and _extremely_ dyslexic. "It's a burger! With bacon and cheese! It's… It's beautiful!"

Thalia sat down across from me, next to Percy. "Stop flirting, you two," she said. "Oh—by the way—Nico's coming down in a couple of minutes, so you might want to make a sandwich for him." When neither of us got up, she thumped her hands on the table. "Fine! I'll do it!"

She got up, leaving us in stunned silence. As if on cue, Nico sat in the seat next to me, banging his head on the table. Percy shoved a heavy, Italian book under his head, stopping the next impact. Nico opened it glumly, turning to a page somewhere just off of the middle. He read quickly, his eyes darting left to right. Occasionally, he would read aloud in a mutter. Percy cut into my thoughts.

"He reads better in Italian than he does English. Most of his books are in Italian and the teachers let him do that. His dyslexia acts up in English. He's pretty good at reading in Greek too. I'm okay with Greek, and Leo's great at Spanish. What're you good at, Wise Girl?"

"I'm not dyslexic," I said. Percy nodded.

"But what are you _good_ at?" he reiterated. I narrowed my eyes, smiling.

"Math, science, logic. I like architecture."

Percy's eyes got really wide, like two big, green UFOs. "You do? Could you build me a house by the sea? With shells and stuff? That'd be cool!"

I giggled. "Sure."

Nico groaned. "_Non capisco_!"

"Huh?" I glanced at Percy. Percy thought for a moment.

"I don't understand," he said. "That's what he said, I think. What don't you understand, Nico?"

Nico paled and turned beet red almost simultaneously. It was like all the color had drained from the rest of him in order to flood into his cheeks. He looked down at his book with smoldering, black eyes. "N-nothing." He looked at me. "Is she your girlfriend?"

Percy looked at me for approval. I shrugged. _Your choice_, is what I intended to say. Percy smiled.

"Yeah. Yeah, she is… Sort of."

Though it wasn't the answer I was expecting, I took it with a grin on my face. Percy leaned over and kissed me. Nico flinched, but he didn't leave the table.

"Gross," he said. He didn't sound fully convinced. Percy beamed.

"Jealous? Jealous of me, are you?"

Nico scowled. "No. Not of _you_."

With that, he got up and left, leaving Thalia and the peanut butter and jelly sandwich staring after him in dismay. Thalia dropped her fork.

"Told you, Percy," she snapped. Percy grimaced.

"Yeah. Sorry."

I had no idea what they were talking about, but I guessed it was bad because Percy's eyebrows had gotten all scrunched up. He stared at the table, like he thought it might speak to him. It, being a table, didn't say anything, and Percy glared at it like it had done something wrong. I pushed his burger in front of him.

"Percy," I said. "Finish your lunch."

Percy gazed sadly down at his meal, looking like he had entirely lost his appetite.

"Sorry, buddy," he apologized. "But you're getting eaten." He took another huge bite of the cheeseburger and leaned over to whisper in my ear. "I like you a lot, Wise Girl."

I recoiled. "You smell like burger!"

Percy laughed uproariously. "Yeah, I do!" He paused. "Do I?"

"Yes." I leaned against his shoulder, smiling contentedly. Thalia stared at us like we were aliens. Finally, she stopped staring long enough to say,

"Are you guys a couple now?"

Percy shrugged, trying to look cool and in command of his own words. "Sure. Except, Annabeth says we're not, so I don't kow."

Thalia looked at me for approval. I nodded, giving her a thumbs up, which she readily returned. She seemed to approve of our semi-relationship, even if it had upset Nico a little. When I mentioned this, she took me aside and told me what the real problem was.

"I found out yesterday," she said. "Nico's been crushing on Percy since he moved to this school. It's been really hard for him to see Percy meet a girl and—gods forbid—fall in love with her."

I took this in silence. "Oh," was the only sound I could make. Thalia took my hand gently.

"It's not your fault. You didn't know. A-and don't tell Nico I told you this. And _please_ don't tell Percy or even let on that you know anything. Nico could barely tell me. Poor kid. He spent three hours in the math room with me, sobbing his eyes out."

I tried to imagine Nico crying. Surprisingly, it wasn't that hard. I thought that his sobbing would be the kind that sounds like choking—like Katniss from _the Hunger Games_. Yeah. I could really imagine Nico crying. I wondered why he had chosen Thalia, though. Was it because she was part of the Hunters, like Bianca?

"Poor kid," Thalia repeated. "He's had a tough life, you know. And I know I'm mean sometimes, but it's because I care. Bianca was… um… one of my closest friends, and it feels like it's my job to take care of Nico now. She… she left that responsibility to me when she died."

As Thalia wiped away a couple of tears, smudging her eyeliner, I wondered what Bianca was like. Thalia looked at me despondently, her eyes glistening.

"She was beautiful," she answered my thoughts. "She had long, silky black hair and big, black eyes—her dad's eyes. And she had her mother's smile. I met her mother once, right before she died. Then I started to notice how much Bianca's smile looked just like it—Maria's smile, I mean. She looked a lot like Nico. She was twelve when I… when I met her. We went to school together for a year, and we were really close. Then she, uh, died." I could tell Thalia was about to break down. "I miss her so much."

She was still holding my hand and I didn't feel like pulling away, so I pulled her into a hug. She cried softly into my shoulder. This was a side to Thalia I hadn't seen before. I was used to the careless Thalia who grimaced at classical music and chipped off her nail polish at the table. I didn't know if I liked this Thalia or not, but I figured I had no choice. She was Thalia, no matter how broken she was acting.

"I'm going to our room," she murmured, pushing away from me. I let her go, moving to sit with Percy again. He took my hand.

"I don't… I don't know if we can be together, Percy," I confessed, crying a little myself. "It seems to be hurting so many people."

Percy looked into my eyes. "Well, they say happiness is contagious. Maybe it'll catch on."

I dearly hoped he was right.

**A/N: I know I put this in the Humor category, so ****_please_**** help me make this more humorous. If you've read any of my other stories, you'll know that a lot of them end up dark and dismal. **

**I'm thinking of doing Dark Humor, but I still need to get a bit more humorous for that. So, please, any suggestions are welcome. I'm still learning.**


	6. Chapter 6

Happiness didn't rub off on Thalia and Nico as quickly as I'd hoped. After three weeks, even Percy looked worried. Thalia, of course, tried to pretend that she wasn't upset. She laughed and joked and talked as quickly as ever. Nico kept a brave face around Percy, but as soon as Percy left, he would deflate. It made me feel just _awful_, like somehow it was all my fault—which it kind of was.

Every night, before we went to bed, Thalia would tell me a bit more about Bianca. She had a whole scrapbook full of their year (two years, she corrected herself) in school together. The first year, she said, hardly counted. They had been friends, but not nearly as close as they were the year Bianca died. In Bianca's honor, Thalia had joined the Hunters.

"This," she said, pointing at a picture of a thirteen year-old Thalia with her friend Bianca, their arms thrown around each other, wide smiles on their faces. "This was when we were teaching Nico to ride a bike. He fell off and yelled at us. Someone managed to snap a picture of us laughing at him."

She turned the page. Each picture had its own story. But each one had Bianca in it. There were a few of just Bianca. In one, she was dancing, her arms above her head, laughing gleefully. Another had her with a bow and arrow, looking proudly at her perfect shot. In yet another, she was fussing over a ten year-old Nico, ruffling his hair and straightening his shirt simultaneously. Nico looked really happy in that picture. His skin, like Bianca's, was a healthy olive tone, in stead of the sickly pallor he had now. The only thing that wasn't a miniature copy of a male Bianca was his eyes. They were softer than Bianca's, almost more feminine.

"They were his mother's eyes," Thalia murmured. "Now, he's got his Dad's eyes too. Bianca… she'd seen some death by the time I met her. It changed her, I guess, but I didn't know her before then. She was lovely."

I nodded, not really sure what I could say. Thalia stared at me miserably.

"You probably think I'm crazy," she said. "But I really miss Bianca. I haven't had a roommate since she died."

My phone buzzed. It was Percy. _Call me. Now._

I apologized to Thalia and dialed his number. When he picked up, he was panicking.

"Annabeth? I called 911. Nico passed out and I'm not getting a heartbeat—"

"Did they tell you to try CPR?"

"Yeah. I-I did. They'll be here any minute, can you just—wait! He's breathing, Annabeth. What do I do?"

I was on the verge of panicking too. "Can he talk? Can you get him to talk, Percy?"

I heard Percy's muffled voice on the other end. "_Nico? Nico, you there, buddy? Can you talk to me?_ No. He can't."

"Get him to the hospital. Now. I'll hurry down, okay? I'll wait outside for the ambulance."

**O~O~O~O**

The ambulance took nearly twenty minutes to come. They ran up to Percy's room and took Nico out. Percy followed anxiously behind. When he saw me, he ran to kiss me. I blushed. It was our third kiss—the first one since we'd started our relationship—and it was all because we were worried. Somehow, that didn't feel great.

By the time we reached the hospital, Nico was still unconscious. His heart stopped once but it started again a minute later. The doctors took him to a room and wouldn't let us in. We waited for seven hours before someone came out to tell us how he was.

"He's still unconscious. He may be unconscious for the next week, maybe more," Dr. Beauregarde said. He was Silena's dad, I remembered.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Thalia asked. Dr. Beauregarde nodded slowly.

"Nico is severely malnourished," he told us. "How much does he eat?"

Percy shrugged. "Nothing, I don't think. Maybe a grape for breakfast. Sometimes we get him to eat a bite or two of Thalia's sandwiches, but he doesn't eat. We can't make him either. Is that all?"

"No. The boy is also under extreme stress. Are there tests he's worrying about? Family troubles."

Thalia told the doctor all about Nico's family. Her voice cracked when she mentioned Bianca and she looked horribly pained. Then she took him aside, no doubt telling him about Percy and I and how we were inadvertently hurting Nico. The doctor pulled me aside, asking me if I knew about all this. I nodded, but I made sure he knew that Percy didn't.

"Will you come back tomorrow?" He knew the answer was yes.

For the rest of the night, we sat in the principal's office, explaining what had happened and promising that we would tell someone where we were going next time. In the end, we were each given a cup of hot chocolate and a week off from our classes.

"It is hard," said the principal, "to see a friend in so much pain. But this is to be the _last_ time Nico passes out like this, all right?"

"Yes, sir," Percy said. Thalia looked at her feet.

"Yes, Mr. di Angelo."

I stared. The principal was Nico's _dad?_ As we left, I leaned over to Thalia.

"I thought you said he was mean."

"He is. Incredibly. I think he's feeling kind of responsible right now. He knows this is partially his fault.

None of us went back to our rooms. Instead, we crowded into a corner of the cafeteria, sipping our hot chocolate in silence. Thalia was crying. In the gloom, I could see the moonlight glittering off of the wet streaks on her face. Percy finally broke the silence.

"It's all hitting me now," he murmured, his voice so low and soft it was almost inaudible. "He was getting a book from… from the bookshelf… and he just sort of fell. I couldn't find his pulse and he wasn't breathing. Then he was breathing and he was unconscious. Now he's still unconscious and I've got the feeling it's my fault. What if he never wakes up?"

"Don't even say that," Thalia warned. "He _has_ to wake up."

I was the odd one out. I didn't know Nico like they did. I could only worry like a bystander in a car accident. They were the victim's family. If Nico died, something in them would change forever.

"He'll wake up," I whispered, taking another sip of hot chocolate. It tasted like cardboard. I'd let it get cold. Thalia and Percy's face reflected the same discomfort. We shoved our cups away. The rest of that night was spent in awkward, terribly silence, Thalia sobbing against my shoulder, Percy staring blankly out the window. I looked up at the sky, praying that someone would listen to me.

_Make Nico wake up,_ I begged. _Make him wake up and I'll do anything._


	7. Chapter 7

The next day, we went to see Nico in the hospital again. Percy went in first. He told us to wait outside. He'd let us know if it was a good idea to go in. After two minutes of waiting, Thalia started to get impatient. She tapped her foot on the floor, picking at her nail polish with a fervor I'd never seen before. Under her breath, she kept muttering things like, "If Bianca were here," and "I hate Percy Jackson."

I wanted to comfort her, but I didn't know how. Eventually, Percy poked his head out of the door to say, "Come on in, ladies. But it's not pretty."

Nico was sleeping peacefully, held under by painkillers and sleeping medications. Tubes and needles snaked from his skeletal arms; his cheekbones protruded from his gaunt face. In the harsh light of the hospital room, he looked so pale and thin that I thought he might break. Thalia gasped and bit down on her knuckles, tears spilling over her eyes. Her free hand flew up to grasp a necklace that she always wore. It was a crescent-shaped, silver bow with an arrow ready to fire. _Bianca's_, I realized.

"Thalia…" I started forward. She removed her teeth from her knuckles for long enough to hold up a warning hand. Percy stepped back so he was on the same plane as me. Then he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him.

We sat there for four hours, just watching Nico. We didn't expect him to wake up, and he didn't. When the nurses shooed us out, the sun was already setting. Percy and I held hands. Thalia clung to my arm.

"I can't believe it," Thalia whispered. "I mean, we all knew that Nico was fragile, but I never thought he'd pass out."

"Why wasn't he eating?" I asked. I felt both Percy and Thalia shrug.

"Since Bianca died," Percy explained. "Nico's been sleeping little and eating less. He has nightmares and almost every food reminds him painfully of Bianca. She _loved_ cooking."

"Oh." That seemed to be all I could say. Thalia continued slowly.

"There's a kid here—Leo—who loves to cook. He's great at it. You know the tacos we have sometimes? Those are his cooking. He goes down to the kitchen and helps out."

Percy burst out laughing. "For all its faults, this school has good food."

We all nodded our approval. It was true. The _OIFTY_ (_Olympus Institution for Troubled Youth_, remember?) had pretty good lunch options. Of course, Percy wouldn't know. He always ate a cheeseburger with bacon and extra fries. Yuck. Though, to tell the truth, I was getting used to it.

As we were walking back to school, we ran into the principal, Mr. di Angelo. He was holding flowers in his hands. He tried not to look at us as we passed him, but ever impulsive Thalia caught his attention.

"Good morning, Mr. di Angelo," she said. "Are you going to visit your son?"

The principal looked embarrassed as he admitted, "Yes. Yes I am."

"That _is_ kind of you." I wondered if Thalia was _trying _to land herself in lifelong detention or if she was just stupid. Mr. di Angelo seemed to get what she was trying to say because he gave her a warning glare and stalked off. My skin prickled. Had the temperature just dropped twenty degrees or was that just me? Percy shivered.

"Ugh. I hate that guy," he grimaced.

"No objections," Thalia agreed. "Well, at least he's trying to be a good dad for once."

We marched our way into the cafeteria, taking our seats at our usual table, ignoring the protestations from Jason and his friends. It struck me as odd that I'd never spoken to Jason outside of a friendly nod in the hallway. He was in the middle of telling a story when Thalia cut in.

"Hey, bro." She clapped him on the back. "S'up, Piper?"

I was starting to believe that 's'up' was their universal word for _hello, it's good to see you_. It reminded me how much of an outsider I still was. Even in this crowd of people, of _friends, _I was still the odd one out. I didn't know who Piper was, really, just that she was Thalia's brother's girlfriend. I didn't know who Leo was except that he was Thalia's brother's girlfriend's friend and he liked cooking tacos. I didn't know about Hazel except that she was Nico's half-sister. I didn't know anything about Frank except that he was Nico's half-sister's boyfriend. And, believe me, that didn't feel too good.

"So anyways," Jason continued. "I told him 'no way!' Piper's _my_ girlfriend and could he kindly stop crushing on her!"

Piper laughed. "You know I don't need you to defend me. You sound like a jealous girlfriend, Jay!"

Jason looked hurt. "Don't call me 'Jay,' Pipes," he said. A musical sound issued from Piper's mouth.

"Why not?" she asked. "It's a cute nickname!"

Hazel raised her hand. I wasn't sure if she was being serious or joking. "Well… Nico hates being called Nicky. That's just a nickname too. Some people just don't like them."

I thought Frank looked like his heart might explode. As he pulled Hazel close to him, I saw him whisper 'I love you.' Her face reddened under its dark tone.

"All right, guys," said a jovial voice. That had to be Leo, I thought. From what I'd heard about him, he was a real joker. "That's enough making Leo feel forever alone, okay?"

The couples grumbled embarrassedly, pushing away from one another with apologetic eyes. Piper cast Jason a look like _I told you so_! My face got all warm and I felt the corners of my lips stretching up. It reminded me of Percy and I. I didn't notice I was leaning in to kiss Percy until Leo cleared his throat.

"What did I say about making Leo feel bad?"

I looked at him guiltily, muttering, "Sorry."

"Nah," he said. "It's cool. I'm Leo. Leo Valdez. And you?"

"Annabeth Chase," I held out my hand. He took it. His palm was hot and sweaty. He didn't seem to notice.

Leo Valdez was a scrawny, dark haired boy with obvious Spanish roots. He had similar curly hair to Nico di Angelo and there was a wide, lopsided grin on his boyish face. It was an immature face, rather full of mischief and fun. I liked him immediately.

"So," he said, leaning his elbows comfortably on the table. He rested his chin on his palms and spoke in his languid way. "Are y'all going to that dance on Saturday?"

Everyone else's faces reflected my internal turmoil.

"DANCE?"

Leo didn't even blink. "Yeah, dance," he confirmed. "Guys bring girls, girls bring guys, guys bring guys, and girls bring girls. You going?"

Hazel looked uncertain. "Well, is Nico going to be well enough? I don't want to go if my brother's in the hospital. I'd rather spend the time there with him."

Frank stood up, placing his hands authoritatively on the table in front of him. "If that happens, we'll _all_ stay with Nico. All in favor?"

We all raised our hands.


	8. Chapter 8

Nico didn't wake up in time for the party, so we spent the day in his room. Percy brought a multitude of blue candies; Leo brought cupcakes and his old, beaten guitar. Piper and Hazel made cards for Nico, placing them on the table next to his bed.

We weren't sure why the nurses and doctors let us bring candies or a guitar or anything party-like, but we guessed the school had something to do with it.

After everyone said hello to Nico, who was as unresponsive as before, Leo took out his guitar and started to play. I didn't recognize the tune, but it sounded old, lilting. Hazel stood next to him, singing in a pretty, soft voice.

_Early one morning just as the sun was rising  
I heard a young maid sing in the valley below  
Oh, don't deceive me  
Oh never leave me  
How could you use a poor maiden so?_

It wasn't a party, but it was nice. Hazel sat with Nico, talking about how many classes he'd been missing and how she'd been doing all of his homework for him.

"And… the Algebra was stuff I did last year, so it wasn't too hard, but I still think you should maybe check it over when you… when you wake up. Does that sound good?"

While Hazel talked, the rest of us stared mournfully at the tubes in Nico's arms. Gods, he looked painfully thin. Even though he had been receiving proper nutrients, he was still pale and still so small. I wanted to pick him up and hug the life back into him, even though he would probably kill me for that.

After Hazel was done, we each took turns talking to Nico. Percy talked aimlessly about a surfing trip he was trying to convince his mum to go on. Nico didn't stir, but I could have _sworn_ he looked annoyed.

Thalia toyed with Bianca's necklace as she spoke. She promised Nico that she would never let it happen again. Bianca would _kill_ her, she said, if she could see Nico. She was probably cursing her from Heaven. When Thalia finally got up, I gave her a crushing hug.

"It's okay," I whispered. "You're doing the best you can."

Thalia sobbed. "But it's not good enough for _her_ brother."

I wondered exactly how close Bianca and Thalia had been, but I didn't dare ask. In any case, it was my turn to talk to Nico. Awkwardly, I sat in the chair next to his bed, not taking his hand as the others had done, just sitting there in strained silence. Finally, I said, "I'm sorry. I didn't know—_anything_, actually. But I didn't realize I'd hurt your feelings, and I wish I could have known sooner. You should have told me."

By the time everyone had spoken to Nico, it was time to go back to school. The party would be over, but we could at least sit in the cafeteria and talk. As we were leaving, there was a dry cough behind us. Hazel whirled around first.

"Nico!" she cried, running to look closer. Nico's eyes were open. He was trying to talk, but his mouth was dry and unused to words. Finally, he gave up, closing his eyes. Hazel called for a doctor and Nico was quickly revived. Someone handed Hazel a glass of water, which he helped Nico drink. He coughed for a solid minute before he could finally speak. His words were slurred, and I remembered that he hadn't talked in a little over a week."

"Where am I?"

Percy jumped to answer. I noticed that Nico didn't flinch when he talked. Maybe he was just too tired, but I wondered if something else was different.

"You're in the hospital. You were getting a book and you kind of passed out."

"Great, can I go home?"

Thalia cleared her throat. "Um, not _exactly_. You've been here a week already. I don't think they'll let you go for a while."

Dr. Beauregarde strode into the room, beaming.

"Welcome back, Nico," he said. He winked at us. "I'm sure your friends are glad to have spent their school dance here with you."

Impossibly, Nico paled. "You… you forfeited your _dance_ for… me?"

"Of course, silly!" Hazel ruffled his hair. "It was…" she glanced lovingly at Frank. "It was Frank's idea."

The tension between Nico and Frank was pretty obvious as he mumbled, "Thanks. No… really. I really appreciate it."

Frank tried to play it down, rubbing the back of his neck and making a big deal of how little a deal it was. Nico, who could barely move, just blinked.

Eventually, Dr. Beauregarde shooed us out. He promised that Nico would be back in school in a week, maybe a day or two more, but they had to keep an eye on him. If things got bad again, they couldn't guarantee he'd make it through. He was already weak. His body wouldn't be able to handle that kind of stress anymore.

Before we got through the door, Dr. Beauregarde called Percy back. Percy squeezed my hand. He was gone for nearly ten minutes. I wasn't sure, but Thalia was almost _certain_ that Nico was telling Percy _everything_. After what seemed like forever, Percy re-emerged, grinning, but ashen.

"It's all cool, guys. Let's go make peace with the Lord of the Dead."

As they walked back to school, Annabeth asked, "Who's the Lord of the Dead?"

Thalia smiled wistfully, like she was remembering days gone by. "It's what we call Nico's dad: Mr. di Angelo."

"Oh." I guess that made sense. His name _was_ Hades, after all.

We walked another few blocks in silence. It was dark by that point. But I was sure no one was waiting for us back at school. They didn't care too much about curfew—probably a lot less than they should have.

**O~O~O~O**

"Where is my son?" the principal asked when we got back.

Thalia frowned. "He's awake, but he's still at the hospital."

"Go downstairs, have some dinner and dessert and get in bed. Got it?"

It was only a matter of moments before we were down the stairs and at our usual table. Percy grabbed a burger, I got a salad, Hazel got a box of cookies and Frank and Jason grabbed tacos with Leo. Piper plucked cookies from the box and chewed them idly. Hazel kept feeding Frank bites of chocolate chip cookies and donuts. She was distracted. Her eyes were far off and sad.

"Nico's awake," she murmured incredulously. "For some reason, I thought he'd never wake up."

There was a murmur of agreement. Hazel continued.

"This is… the moment I've been waiting for, for a whole _week_, and now it's here. And I'm so cold. He's still not _here_. He's there, in the hospital. I can't hug him and tell him it's going to be okay. And I don't know what's worse. Seeing Nico unconscious with all those tubes in his arms was horrible, but seeing him awake and struggling like that? He could barely talk without slurring his words, and he could hardly move!"

It was true. Nico was weak. Seeing him awake like that, helpless and alone, was awful. I could only hope that he would be better when they sent him back.

**A/N: Sorry these last few chapters have been awkwardly written and badly planned. I'm kind of (incredibly) tired, but I don't want to leave you guys hanging like Percy and Annabeth in ****_Mark of Athena_****. So these chapters have been kind of… meh. But the next ones will make up for it, I promise. You know how? You can offer suggestions for what you want to happen next and I'll try to work it in somehow. Want to see more of the school dynamic? I'll make it work. Any character you think needs a spotlight? Sure! More Nico? No problem! Less Nico? I'll do my best. **

**Thanks for reading!**

**Peeta Melark.**


	9. Chapter 9

Nico arrived in school on a chilly Tuesday afternoon. He could barely walk without clinging to Hazel's arm, but he told us he just couldn't spend another minute in the hospital. It would take him a couple of days, the doctors said, to readjust, but he was doing much better, really. They were right. He did look better. Though he was still pale and thin, he wasn't as gaunt as before. There was a life behind his eyes that I'd never seen before. I understood why his friends loved him so. For the first time, I could see hints of that ten year-old boy they talked about.

"Weird," he confided at the lunch table one day. "My dad's been _really_ nice to me. He wants to watch a _movie_ one weekend, and he's going to make cookies with me tomorrow."

Piper laughed, ruffling Nico's hair. She was radiant with happiness. I could see why everyone was so in love with her. "Of course! He feels guilty. I wish _my_ dad would feel guilty. But he's busy being famous and I'm busy being a delinquent, so there's no time for family bonding. But I bet you're _loving_ the attention."

Nico smiled ruefully. "I am," he confessed. "Since Bianca died, I've never felt loved and accepted. But—" He glanced at Thalia. "I talked to Dad when he came to pick me up, and he said he… doesn't mind. He told me that, with a little color in my face, I looked like my mother's son."

From the pictures I'd seen, Nico looked a lot like Maria di Angelo. They had the same high cheekbones, but Nico's face carried a regality that could only have come from his dad. Now that he was happier, his eyes were warmer, more like the ones from the old pictures.

After lunch, he took me aside and said, "I'm sorry I was so mean to you. I was jealous, and I had no right to act that way."

"It's fine, Nico," I told him carefully. "You know it's fine."

"Percy loves you," he murmured as I was walking away. I turned back. For a moment, he looked gaunt and pale again.

"What?" My voice was hoarse, almost silent. Nico looked at me with sadness in his dark, soulful eyes.

"He loves you," Nico repeated. "He told me."

There was an awkward pause as we decided what we would say next. Finally, I put my hand on Nico's arm, smiling.

"My family's rough too," I assured him. "My dad… he sent me here because he didn't want me around his kids. I got expelled from three schools for starting fights. Each fight was more unexpected than the last and finally my dad just couldn't take it. He sent me away, maybe forever."

Nico looked me in the eyes, his very wide and very earnest. "I _am_ sorry. Be happy with him. For me."

"I will," I promised. Nico patted my shoulder.

"You'd better get back to him. He's probably waiting. Impatient Percy." He gave a strained laugh. I touched his arm lightly and turned to go back to Percy.

He _was_ impatient. When I sat next to him, he shoved his empty plate in front of me and pouted.

"I had to eat my burger in silence, Wise Girl."

I rolled my eyes, shoving the plate back. "Well, you shouldn't talk with your mouth full, Percy."

Percy leaned his head on my shoulder. He was such a baby sometimes! But it was endearing. I caught Nico's eye from over Percy's mop of hair and he smiled at me. It was both a defeated smile and a sympathetic one.

"So," said Piper, sweeping her hair back with a graceful hand. "How is it having Nico back, everyone?"

Hazel looked at her quizzically. "What's _your_ answer?" she queried, smiling slightly. Piper thought for a moment, her lips parted questioningly. Finally, she spoke, her voice like a summer breeze.

"It's nice having him back. And it's wonderful to see him looking so healthy. Of course, it'll take a while for us to see him _really_ healthy, but this is the closest we've seen in years. Look at him—all independent and actually eating lunch."

Nico sat down at the table just then, slamming down a tray with a sandwich and a bowl of soup. Hazel picked up the spoon.

"Hey!" Nico cried. Hazel shushed him.

"I'm not letting you hanle a spoon just yet. Leave it to me."

He looked like he wanted to protest, but he allowed her to baby him. When she'd forced him to finish his lunch, he gave her a hug and shakily tried to stand up. Failing, he sat down, banging his head on the table.

"Tired," he groaned. "I think I used up all my energy for the day."

Leo got up, pulling Nico up with him. "I'll take care of him," he promised Hazel. "You finish your lunch.

Embarrassedly, Nico tried to shove Leo away from him, blushing. "I don't need your help, Valdez," he growled, but there was no real threat behind it. Leo managed to cart him away easily, one arm around Nico's waist, the other on his shoulder, making sure he didn't fall forward. Nico didn't seem too upset about being given so much positive attention. In fact, he seemed quite pleased.

Piper smiled. "Look at them," she murmured. "They're going to be great friends, I can feel it."

We stared at her. "How?"

"Oh!" She giggled in a very un-Piper-like fashion. "Just can. Intuition."

There was a moment where the table was silent. My heart was beating steadily as a drum—the slow, rhythmic kind—and there was a smile on my lips. I thought of Percy sitting next to me, his hand on the back of my neck. I rested my head on his shoulder, smiling.

Before I knew it, it was time for our daily PE class. When I went out to the yard, a group of thirteen men and women stood at different stations. The principal, Hades di Angelo, stepped forward.

"Students, I would like to welcome you to the first training session for the All-School Olympics!"

I groaned. Could it get _any_ worse than this?

**A/N: Suggestions? Should I make this a magical school or keep it normal high school AU? I feel like having it be a demigod school might be cool, but it could also seem like I'm just phoning it in.**

**Any suggestions for what to do with Nico now that he's back in the story? **

**Thanks,**

**Peeta Melark**


	10. Chapter 10

As it turned out, the All-School Olympics was just a fancy way of saying "we're competing against two other schools in a big sports competition. The thirteen people (principal included) were just there to rain us. They had each taken the names of the Olympian gods, which I thought was an odd way to go, and they each had a specific station they worked with.

There was a blond man named Apollo who kept trying to con kids into trying Archery. Unsurprisingly, Will Solace was _amazing. _His aim with an arrow was almost as precise as (if not better than) his aim with a spitball. There were only a few others who were chosen to be the archery competitors, and each of them bore a strange resemblance to Will and the strange man called Apollo.

Percy was the only one chosen to compete in swimming and water games. As was soon discovered, he was an excellent swimmer. He looked at home in the water, something I had never felt. He would go for long periods without taking a breath and then kick off of the bottom of the pool, breaking the surface of the water with a grin on his face. I could have watched him all day if I hadn't been grabbed by a woman with dark hair and grey eyes and pulled over to the station named _Logic_.

"I am Athena," said the woman. "And you are?"

"Annabeth," I said, my voice sounding weak. "Annabeth Chase."

She made a dissatisfied noise and turned to Mr. di Angelo.

"You told me she was very wise."

Mr. di Angelo looked offended, which made him look a lot like Nico. The way his mouth twisted down and his nose upturned slightly reminded me of his son. "She is. Can't you take my word for once? The girl is just, um, shy!"

I wasn't shy, not then, not ever. But I let myself nod, desperate not to admit that I was a little scared.

"She looks like an athlete. Why not give her to Ares?"

"Because she has _brains_!" Mr. di Angelo cried, sounding almost zombie-like. "Don't you?"

_This_ made the woman, Athena, mad. She sniffed haughtily and rolled her eyes. "The girl stays. You go."

Mr. di Angelo grumbled something about ingrates and sunny days as he walked back to his station. As soon as he was out of sight, Athena turned to glower at me.

"Do you play chess?" she demanded.

"Pardon?"

"Chess, Annabeth! Do you play it?"

I nodded. "Yes, I do, but—"

"Good. You're with me. Do you know about physical chess? Fencing?"

Again, I nodded, though this time I wasn't so sure. "I-I think so."

"Good. You'll stay."

A few other kids had gathered around us by that point. One was a boy named Malcolm, who was, according to Thalia, dating Will Solace. From the very beginning, he was a natural. He answered all of Athena's questions without even a pause for thought, he could square root almost anything, and he was an _expert_ fencer. If I'd known he would be there, I might have asked for a transfer.

As we were taking a break, out of breath and not just a little beat up, Malcolm sat next to me. When he started speaking, I found the softness of his voice almost jarring. Waves of timidity poured off of him, almost enough to make _me_ feel shy.

"Don't worry," he said. "It gets better. Last year, I couldn't fence at all."

"I don't believe that," I told him. Malcolm laughed.

"Well, maybe it was _two_ years ago, but who's counting?"

I gestured at the teachers. "They are."

Malcolm went silent, watching the archers. At the head of the team was Will Solace, his face as steady and sure as the grave. He was a perfect shot. Malcolm clapped momentarily before he seemed to remember himself.

"I'm sorry. I just have to show support. He's incredibly self conscious."

"He shouldn't be," I murmured. Malcolm laughed.

"Oh, I said so too. He claims it keeps him from getting a big ego. I just don't see why he has to compare himself to everyone else just to get enough motivation to be better! He already _is_ better."

My gaze wandered to Percy, who was hopping up and down in the pool, trying to keep warm. Pulling my own sweater around myself, I remembered that it was autumn already. He must have been _freezing._ Catching my eye, he called, "Annabeth, look!" and did a somersault in the water. I yelled back,

"Good job, Seaweed Brain!"

Percy laughed. "Seaweed Brain? Really, Wise Girl?"

Next to me, Malcolm took a sharp, amused breath. He smiled. "If I ever gave a nickname like that to Will, I think he'd murder me. And I'd do the same if he gave _me_ a nickname like that."

As I started my next sentence, a horn sounded, signaling that it was time to get back to training. Malcolm and I sparred, throwing the occasional swear word or insult. Finally, after about an hour, I managed to beat him.

"That doesn't count," he complained. "I'm tired and Will was grinning at me from the archery range!"

Athena smiled at me. "Hmm. Perhaps you _can_ be logical." The smile faded and she snapped, "Class dismissed!"

Without looking to see who else was leaving, I ran to the pool. Percy was sitting on a bench next to it, shivering, with a flimsy towel around his shoulders. I took off my sweater, wrapping it around him and trying in vain to zipper it. Percy laughed.

"I'm fine, Annabeth! I'm used to this." He was trembling so violently he could barely talk. "Just, uh, give me a kiss, would you?"

I did. Percy sighed contentedly. "See? Now I'm not cold."

"No," I agreed. "Which is why you're shaking."

With a smile, I stood up and walked away. "Meet me in the cafeteria in half an hour. I've got a plan."

**A/N: I'm planning to throw some kind of party in the next chapter (I know, I know. I already ****_did_****, but I want to throw another!) Any suggestions for what kind of party? Dance? Birthday? Halloween party?**

**I'm willing to take any and all suggestions! I'm also willing to just take the reviews ('cause I'm greedy!). **


	11. Chapter 11

"A _Halloween_ party?" Piper asked, wrinkling her forehead contemplatively. She looked stunning, even in a frayed, green sweater and faded, ripped jeans. Her chocolate hair was braided to the side. Her eyes watched me carefully. "Why do we need one of those?"

"For morale. Like an Olympics party but Halloween themed! And… isn't Nico's birthday October 31st?"

Piper's kaleidoscope eyes widened, a grin spreading across her face. Before she could finish smiling, Jason leaned down and kissed her. Then he looked down at the table, blushing.

"Sorry, Piper. You looked so pretty." It was a dumb excuse, and Piper obviously wasn't buying it. Still, she linked her arm with his and gave him the sweetest smile I had ever seen. I didn't know if it had anything to do with her mother's name being Aphrodite, but she was creepily good at being charming.

There wasn't time to consider that because Nico sat down, blushing the deepest crimson I had ever seen. "Kill me now," he said. Hazel looked concerned.

"What happened?"

"No," Nico moaned, banging his head on the table. His face was still red, and I thought it might stay like that. Slowly, though, the color drained out of his face. Finally, when he looked back up, he was deathly pale but for a red circle on his forehead where it had connected with the table.

"Nico, what's wrong?" Hazel drew out the words, her voice almost like music. Nico blushed again, hiding his face behind his arms. He was wearing an aviator jacket several sizes too large. It hid his hands and practically swamped him in fabric. Behind it, there was no way to see what he was thinking or feeling. Hazel poked at the jacket sleeves. "Nico, come out!"

"You sound like Jason!" he snapped good-naturedly. A huge cloud of confusion hung over the table. Nico seemed to realize what he'd said because he dropped his guard, his face bright flushed again. "Um. Never mind."

He tried to get up, but Hazel stopped him. "Nico, what's bothering you?"

"You're busy," he protested. "I'll come back later."

"We're not busy," Jason said. "Not when you need us."

He knew what Nico meant, and so did I. From the look on Thalia's face as she joined us, she knew what Nico was inevitably going to say. This was the moment the Grace siblings had been holding their breath for. This was the moment I had wanted because it meant all of us could help Nico, not just a few.

Nico sighed, the will and energy seeming to drain from him. "I-I…" He didn't know where to start, I thought sadly. "When I moved to this school, I… Percy was the first person I met. I've… I… I…" He started to sob. Jason got up, putting his hand gently on Nico's shoulder.

"Nico, it's okay. We won't judge you."

Piper gasped, her eyes going wide with understanding. "Was it only Percy?" she asked. Nico shook his head.

"No," he said forlornly. "But he was the only person I… fell in love with. Sometimes I see a guy with nice eyes or a nice smile, and I'll blush or something. But no one's like Percy."

Leo spoke just off my shoulder. I hadn't realized he was there, and it scared me a bit.

"Well, Nico, it seems you've been judging yourself more than we'd ever judge you." He sat down next to Nico, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "To tell the truth, I get what you're feeling, buddy." He looked up at all of us, scrutinizing our expressions. "I've had a huge crush on Hazel since I met her, okay. But I've known a couple of people for longer: Jason and Piper. They were my first friends, really, and, for a while, I had a crush on Jason. But I didn't let myself get all miserable over it because he was happy with Piper. And I knew that I'd meet someone one day who would be right for me."

Nico looked up tearfully, his eyes shining. Leo's speech had clearly moved him, more than any of our comfort could have. Leo had actually gone through something similar, and Nico obviously recognized that. He sat up and wiped the tears away from his eyes. "Thank you."

Leo shrugged, smiling carelessly. "Don't mention it."

"Wait, you have a crush on my _sister_?"

"Don't look so surprised," Leo chuckled. "It was _bound_ to happen." He smiled again and Nico blushed for the millionth time.

"Yeah, well it isn't _going_ to happen!"

I smiled, looking at Percy, who looked back with pride in his eyes. He looked like his heart was about to explode as he whispered, "Five bucks they're together before high school ends."

I whispered back, "No. Nico seems more like the single type."

"Yeah, but they've changed eyes!"

I giggled. My weakness was _the Tempest_, though I had no idea how Percy knew that. Still, he was kind of right. Nico and Leo _had_ changed eyes. Even as I watched them, they were staring at each other as if for the first time, their eyes misted over slightly. Still, Leo was crushing on Nico's sister, not him. It just didn't seem logical that his affections would change so quickly.

"Sorry," Nico said. "You were planning something?"

"No," Piper lied. "Nothing important."

Nico shrugged, getting up. "Well, I'd best be off anyways. I've got to meet with the nurse in a couple of minutes, just to make sure I'm doing okay."

He walked off, still looking a little bit upset. Leo looked around the table at our friends' stares.

"What?" he asked. "Do I have an extra eye on my nose?"

Piper shrieked, "No, but that was absolutely _amazing!_ Where did you learn to talk like that?"

Leo shrugged, trying to shake off her compliment. "You know me. I talk a lot. Sometimes, I even say something _useful_."

None of us argued, but it was clear Leo was feeling put on the spot. He wrung his hands around a rolled up piece of paper, biting his lip. Piper turned her attention back to the party, leaving an obvious look of relief on Leo's face.

The party was going to be held on Halloween night, Nico's birthday. The whole day, even though it might be dangerous, we would ignore Nico's birthday like we didn't even know he had one. Then, we would lure him down to the cafeteria for a party. It would be perfect.

Unsurprisingly, Leo didn't offer any suggestions. Instead, he sat a few feet away, fiddling with a metal contraption he'd pulled from one of his immense pockets. It shot sparks in red, white and blue, very patriotic. As we left the table, he said, "See y'all tomorrow. I'll have something cool, okay?"

Hopefully, the party would be a success. And hopefully, Leo and Nico's friendship wouldn't be ruined in the process.

**A/N: Okay. I'm just as lost as you all are. I have no ****_idea_**** how this story started shipping Leo and Nico, and I don't know how much I like it. I just wanted something pivotal for Leo to do or say, and this is what happened. I'm going to keep them just friends, though, I think.**


	12. Chapter 12

On Nico's birthday, we followed the plan and ignored him. At first, he didn't seem to mind, but as the day wore on he started to look incredibly sad. Several times, I had to hold Thalia back from wishing him a happy birthday. Even Leo seemed reluctant to hold his end of the bargain. Every time Nico walked into a room, our hearts would almost break. Finally, Thalia couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her mouth just inches from my ear. "I'm going to get in costume. Will you help me?"

I nodded, anxious to leave too. We made our excuses and raced back to our room. Thalia ran to her closet and pulled out her costume. It was a Victorian style dress in a deep navy. The laces on the corset were bright, electric blue, just like Thalia's eyes. She pulled it on with little difficulty and turned her back to me.

"Would you?" she asked, waving her hand at the corset laces. I tied them to the best of my ability. It didn't help that Thalia was choking back sobs. "Bianca would be so mad at me!"

I touched her shoulder comfortingly. "No," I said. "She'd be really glad to know you've helped Nico so much."

"But have we?" Thalia asked. As I let this sink in, she pulled away, sitting down in front of our mirror. "I've… I've got to do my makeup. I'm going as Christine—Daaé, I mean. She was… she was Bianca's favorite. Did you tell Nico to show up in costume?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I did. What's he going as?"

Thalia sniffled. "Wouldn't say. Someone told me he was trying not to cry earlier."

"Well, he'll be okay." I squared my shoulders, trying to be brave for my friend's sake. Thalia sat down awkwardly, her dress making it hard for her to move. I pulled open my own closet, looking desperately for my costume. After a few minutes, I found it hidden behind a grey dress and about five pairs of jeans. I was dressing as a goddess—as Athena.

When I finished putting on my costume and applying what little makeup was necessary, I stepped back, twirling for Thalia. Her face broke into a grin.

"Beautiful, Annabeth," she said. "Beautiful."

My costume was a simple, white, Greek-style dress with gold braid roped around the waist. I wore sandals and heavy, gold-colored earrings. My hair was braided to the side with what gold braid was left over from the dress.

With one last look in the mirror, I grabbed Thalia's hand and raced out the door.

**O~O~O~O**

The others' costumes were amazing. Piper and Jason were Jane and Thor. Percy was Eric from _the Little Mermaid_. Leo was Xander from _Buffy_, Hazel was Kendra and Frank was a vampire.

There was a bang and the door flew open. Nico stood on the other side, completely in shadow. From his silhouette, it should have been obvious who he was. Horns sprouted from a helmet on his head, his coat flowed around him, and a staff glowed in his hand. When he stepped into the light, he was dressed head to toe in black and chains. Red and black fingerless gloves adorned his arms and there was a skull ring on his finger. At his side hung a huge, black foam sword. He looked deadly and handsome.

"Mercutio," he said. "Kinsman to the Prince and friend to the house of Montague."

I gasped. Thalia curtsied clumsily.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Leo's disembodied voice shouted. He swung down from the ceiling on a rope and landed easily in front of Nico. With a tug of the rope, a huge banner dropped down, echoing Leo's words. We cheered.

Nico's face went completely blank. Then he broke into the biggest grin I had ever seen. "Oh… my… gods."

He threw his arms around the nearest person: Thalia. She looked like she was about to cry for joy. Leo cleared his throat.

"I'm not done," he said. "I promised I'd have something special tonight, and I do. Hazel?"

Hazel took several paces to stand by Leo's side. Frank pushed a piano to the other side and Percy (yes, my boyfriend) sat at it. Leo took out a guitar and Thalia took out a violin. Hazel grabbed a microphone.

_Early one morning just as the sun was rising  
I heard a young maid sing in the valley below  
Oh, don't deceive me  
Oh, never leave me  
How could you use a poor maiden so?_

There were several verses just like it. Then they moved to another song. Thalia and Hazel switched instruments, leaving me in utter amazement. I couldn't play more than a couple of bars of piano, let alone sing _and_ play the violin. Thalia's voice, to my surprise, was very high.

_Before I got to fighting or when fighting got to me  
I looked to find examples on the fields of chivalry  
And I saw mighty arms much stronger than my arms could ever be  
So I thought perhaps this field was not for me_

'Cause she was not the biggest fighter  
Nor one to raise a fuss  
But I remember being proud that she was one of us  
Though we may never stand toghether on the shield wall side by side  
But because of her I lift my sword with pride.

I knew she was singing about Bianca, and so did Nico. His eyes welled up with tears and he raced to hug Thalia. When everyone else had stepped back into the party (which, by then, was hugely crowded), Leo stayed behind, sitting down at the piano. He touched the keys lightly, playing a tune I recognized from my childhood. It was a love song, I remembered, but nothing else remained in my memory. Nico recognized it completely, though, because he smiled.

"Bianca loved that song," he said. "And she would have loved your playing."

Leo beamed at him, revealing tiny dimples on both cheeks. This made Nico blush. He looked away.

"You're making it really difficult for me _not_ to be crushing on you," he mumbled. Leo heard him.

"What if that's the point." He winked. "Come on, Zombie Dude. Let's dance."

**A/N: No, they're not a couple. No, they won't be a couple (at least for now they won't). I just think a little bromance is good now and then, don't you? Sure, this is really shippy bromance, but whatever. **

**Any suggestions?**

**By the way, I know this really great author on here called "RevolutionaryPhantom" and she's written a ****_Les Misérables_**** AU called ****_Snow Angels_****. So, if you think that sounds interesting, go check out her writing. She's really good! Sadly, her work is ****_incredibly _****underappreciated. **


	13. Chapter 13

Percy and I danced for what must have been hours. Hazel had made a playlist of Nico's favorite songs (which ranged from "Three Days Grace" to _Phantom of the Opera_) and that was essentially what we danced to. At first, the change in genre was disorienting, but we slowly became accustomed to it. At the end of a song, I glanced over at Nico and Leo.

_Maybe we'll turn it around 'cause it's not too late  
It's never too late_

They were dancing together, grinning and careless. Nico had removed his coat and helmet (which, in all honesty, had made me think he was Loki before he stepped into the light) and was wearing a black tank top and his red and black fingerless gloves. His belt was made completely of chain and his fingernails were painted black, something I had not noticed before. The sword was still hanging at his side, a wicked sharp piece of painted, heavily detailed foam.

As I watched, Leo leaned in as if to kiss Nico, then he stopped, looking away. Nico didn't notice, or he pretended not to, but he stopped dancing.

"Is something wrong?" I saw him say. Leo shook his head, sighing visibly.

"I… I don't know if you remind me of…" he glanced at Hazel. "Her. But I can't help falling a little bit in love."

Nico laughed breathlessly, his face florid. "What?"

"With you," Leo explained. "Me. In love. With you. Get it?"

Nico nodded. "I… I think so." He was smiling. "But what about Hazel?"

Leo giggled. "I don't know!" he cried. "Can you just take a compliment?"

"Sure." They continued dancing.

I turned to Percy, who offered me his hand. The song had changed to something slow and romantic. I put my hands on Percy's shoulders, and he rested his on my waist. I sighed, leaning my head against him, listening to the beat of his heart.

Thalia was dancing with a girl a year older than me, reminding me that Thalia was also a year older than me. The girl had long, auburn hair and silvery grey eyes. She was petite and pretty, but she seemed cold. When the dance ended, Thalia brought me to meet her.

"This is Artemis," she said. "She's the leader of the Hunters."

"Hey," I said, waving. Artemis studied me, her eyes chilly. She turned to Thalia.

"She is very beautiful." Her voice carried a subtle, ancient-sounding accent. Then she looked at me. "You're Annabeth?"

"Yes," I confirmed. "That's me."

"And…" She eyed Percy distastefully. "That is your boyfriend?"

I didn't like how she called him _that_. "Yeah, he is."

"Hmm." Her eyes wandered to Nico and Leo. She smiled. "That is Bianca's little brother, isn't it?"

Thalia nodded, swallowing back sudden tears. "Nico, yeah."

"He looks like her."

I left because that Artemis girl was _seriously_ creeping me out. Thalia seemed uneasy around her too, like they knew more about each other than either or them would like. I was about to turn back when I heard a girl's laugher echoing from the hall.

Slipping through the doors unnoticed was a chore. Opening them was even worse. These were the doors no one used unless they wanted to be unseen. Unfortunately, most of the kids here had figured out other ways to slip out unnoticed, so the doors were practically rusted shut. As soon as I'd set foot in the hall, the laughter sounded again. This time, it sounded more like crying… It _was_ crying.

"Hello?" I called. The crying and giggling continued. It was all the same voice. "Is anyone there?"

As far as I could tell, the sound was coming from the darkest crevice of the hall. Just the thought of going over there sent chills up and down my spine. I wondered fleetingly how a birthday and Halloween party could have ended like _this_, with me searching for a potentially crazy girl in the creepiest hallway of my creepy school.

A hand grabbed my shoulder. I whirled around to come face to face with a girl with frizzy red hair and freckles.

_"Daughter of Wisdom,  
Beware the Fire  
Dragged down to deepest Hell will you be  
For Fire and Death are together at last  
The end of Wisdom  
And Sky and Sea._"

The girl finished her chilling verse, her eyes boring into mine, green and unnerving. She was shivering. Whether from cold or fear, I couldn't tell. From the looks of her, I realized she was Rachel Elizabeth Dare, the artsy girl Thalia had mentioned.

"_Child of Books,  
Death will destroy  
Son of the Sea will be Fire's victory  
And I, the Oracle, will watch and record  
The things that no mortal remembers_."

At that point, I was convinced she was trying to tell me something, but I was also fairly certain she was nuts. Her eyes darted around wildly, searching for something I couldn't see. Sometimes, she would jump, practically falling into my arms like a frightened child. Still, I managed to get her back to the party. When they saw us, the crowd gasped.

"Rachel!" Malcolm exclaimed. "Oh my gods, Rachel, what happened to you?"

He grabbed her and shook her by the shoulders. Rachel didn't respond. He turned on me.

"What did you do to her?" he demanded. I backed up.

"Nothing! I did nothing! I _found_ her like this! She was—she was sobbing and laughing and I heard and thought I should investigate."

Malcolm gathered the redheaded girl in a hug, sighing. "It's okay, Rachel, you're okay now." He glanced at me. "She's Will's little sister. He's been worried sick. Did she, um, say anything?"

"She spoke in verses, why?"

Malcolm's face paled. "Because they always come true. What Rachel says. Those… _prophecies_… they _always_ come true."

**A/N: Until next time, lovely readers! See? I'm holding my promise and not having Leo and Nico being a couple. Funny thing is, I'm not a big fan of Leo/Nico, but in AU it's kind of sweet!**

**Any suggestions? Please do tell! I'm still working out whether this will have supernatural elements or just be a normal school. **


	14. Chapter 14

Rachel Dare was taken to the hospital that night. Nico watched her go with a sad look in his eyes. I had told him what she had said and he had gotten very quiet. When he spoke at last, his voice was thick with tears.

"She's mad," he whispered. "So is Malcolm, but not as much. I think she might have eaten a couple of mothballs. I wouldn't worry about her riddles."

He didn't sound too sure. Still, I had to believe he was right.

"So, who's Fire?" I asked. Nico paled.

"Leo," he told me. "But don't tell anyone. We're all here for different reasons, right? Well, Leo set his mother's shop on fire when he was really little. She died and he somehow got out unscathed."

I nodded. "And Rachel?"

"I just told you. I think she ate mothballs as a kid. She's absolutely insane, and that's coming from _me_."

Just as I was about to get majorly freaked out, Percy wrapped his arms around me, kissing the top of my head. Warmth spread through my limbs, making me feel like I was wrapped in a thick, fluffy blanket. Percy spun me around, kissing me.

"You're a goddess," he said. I laughed, hugging him tightly.

"I'm _dressed_ as one," I corrected. He kissed me again. As I leaned my head on his chest, I couldn't help but think of poor Nico di Angelo, waiting patiently for the pain of his hopelessness to cease. And we weren't helping. My thoughts also wandered to Rachel Elizabeth Dare, the insane girl Thalia had told me about, except Thalia had told me she was nice.

"So, Nico," Percy turned back, looking Nico dead in the eye. Even though Nico was different, happier, I still couldn't look him in the eye for long without getting nervous. Sometimes, when I'd see him alone, that familiar scowl would be back on his face, and he'd look as gaunt and frightening as when I'd first met him.

"What?" Nico asked. Percy looked startled.

"Having a nice birthday? I hear Leo's got one more surprise for you."

"Has he?" Nico smiled slightly. "Well, now it won't be a surprise."

Leo's voice came from above again. He swung down on yet another rope, a small, orange box in his hand. He opened the box and pulled out a silver skull ring.

"Here you go." He placed it on Nico's right index finger.

"Did you… make this?" Nico asked. Leo laughed.

"Yeah, I did. I thought you deserved something awesome."

"It's great!" Nico stared at it in awe. Then Leo surprised us all. He took Nico by the shoulders and kissed him. It wasn't much more than a peck, but Nico was blushing like crazy. He shook his head. "I don't… I… This had better not be some mean joke, Valdez!"

"On your birthday?" Leo cried indignantly. "If it were a joke, it would be any other day!"

"We're still not dating, right?"

Leo laughed brightly. "Not unless you want to."

Nico thought about it. "We'll see," he decided. "We'll see how the next week goes. I'm not ready to have my heart broken again."

**O~O~O~O**

After that, it seemed like my life of running into Percy and Nico at our lockers resumed. One day, I showed up to find Nico crying, his head in his hands, dripping blood from a gash on his forehead. Percy was dialing a number into his phone, cursing when no one answered. Finally, he left a message.

"Mr. di Angelo? Sorry to bother you, but it's Percy. Nico's gotten hurt and he won't tell me how or why. Could you, um, come check it out? Thanks. Bye."

I knelt down next to Nico, glancing up at his locker. There was blood on the door and the dent looked bigger. I put two and two together quickly enough.

"Someone bashed his head into it," I said, indicating the locker. Percy frowned.

"Why would they…? Oh." His face fell. "Oh. Gods, Nico, I'm really sorry. Can you tell me what happened?"

Nico sniffled, wiping his nose on the back of his bloody hand. Red smeared across his face, which only made him cry harder.

"_Non so_. I don't know," he admitted, his voice tight with pain. "I was getting my… my books and someone pushed me into the locker. I didn't see them and I didn't hear anything."

I grabbed Percy's hand, grimacing as I realized they too were covered in blood. "Get him to the hospital," I commanded. "I think I know who did this."

Percy nodded, pulling Nico to his feet and leading him away. I raced down the hall, looking for someone I had trusted, someone who had been my friend all through elementary school.

"LUKE!" I yelled when I saw him. He turned, his eyes bright and cheerful.

"Why, hello, Annabeth!" he said. I pulled my arm back, ready to punch him.

"What the hell?" I screamed. "Thalia said you were still nice, and now you're just another high school bully?"

From his face, my words had hurt. Luke opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water. I dropped my hand, still ready to hit him at any moment.

"What did Nico ever do to you?"

That's when he laughed. His whole face lit up with it. For a moment, I felt like a little girl again, that little girl who had trusted Luke with all her heart. I wanted to cry. He was evil, I thought, truly evil if he could hurt Nico di Angelo.

Luke grinned at me. "He's in my way."

I turned and ran. When I got back to the lockers, Mr. di Angelo was waiting for me. He was livid. Before I could fully turn the corner, he was firing questions at me faster than I could answer. Where was Nico? Did I kill Luke good and proper? There was side note that "that Castellan boy" had been trouble from the start and that he was officially expelled. Was Nico going to be okay? Did I know how hard it was to take care of him? Did I know how much Nico worried everyone sick? Did I care?

"Yes," I said. "I do care, but—"

"Do you?" Mr. di Angelo's voice was dangerously soft. "Do you _really_ care about my son? After everything you've seen, heard, thought? You care about him?"

I was taken completely aback. What? What had I seen or heard or thought that would turn me against Nico?

"Rachel's riddles!" I realized aloud. "Sir, I don't believe they mean anything. You're tricking yourselves into following them. I've _seen_ people like that before in my dad's hospitals! They're not prophecies, they're the ravings of a madwoman!"

As soon as I said it, I wished I could take it back. Mr. di Angelo's glare was almost enough to make me run away. But I held my ground, staring coolly back.

"Nico got hurt today," I said. "That wasn't part of any prophecy."

The principal considered this, his face very pale in the dim hallway.

"Very well, Miss Chase," he said. "I believe you."

**A/N: Thanks for all the lovely reviews! I have decided to keep this non-supernatural… just 'cause I want to. **

**As for Leo and Nico. I'm so glad to hear that people support them! I myself am not a huge shipper, but I'm warming up to them as a couple now. **

**Suggestions? I'd love to hear them!**

**Also, check out RevolutionaryPhantom's work. She's my sister and an amazing writer. Her grammar and spelling is quite good, if I do say so myself!**


	15. Chapter 15

Convincing Mr. di Angelo that Rachel was crazy wasn't the hard part. It was convincing my friends. Percy seemed almost adamant that Rachel was some kind of prophet. I explained again and again the idea that their minds were tricking them. They heard the prophecies, they interpreted the prophecies, and they made them happen. It was basic psychology! Still, no one seemed convinced.

Leo sat next to Nico as the doctor stitched the cut on his forehead. To his credit, Nico barely winced, but his eyes were glassy. When Leo patted him on the shoulder he barely blinked. I was worried again. What if this was the final straw? What if he was broken?

"Where… am I?" Nico asked. Leo frowned.

"Uh, dude, you're in the hospital."

Nico nodded slowly. "Why?"

"Because… someone bashed your head into a locker."

"Oh." It hurt to see that Nico didn't look so surprised. I wondered if that might have been the reason there was a dent and dried blood (I was pretty sure it _was_ blood by that point) on his locker. Leo seemed to sense something because he tilted Nico's face up.

"Are you okay?" He kissed Nico, and then smiled drunkenly. "You're going to be okay."

Nico nodded dazedly. "Sure. Sure I'll be okay. What's okay?"

It was then that we started realizing something was _really_ wrong. Nico _never_ acted like that. Ever. He was talking like a small, confused child, one who didn't even know his own name. When Leo leaned in to kiss him again, he shrunk away.

"Ew!" he cried. "Stop."

Leo seemed offended but he backed off. Nico's eyes widened and he called him back.

"Wait!" He pulled Leo down for a kiss. "I don't know what made me do that."

This was bad, very bad, and it was only getting worse. The doctor looked worried and eventually pulled me aside.

"What is it with me?" I cried when we were out of earshot. "Why do you doctors keep pulling _me_ aside? Can't you talk to Percy or Thalia?"

The doctor smiled sadly. "I'm afraid not. You look more capable of taking what I must say."

I prepared myself for the worst.

"Nico doesn't have very much time left."

"WHAT?" I screamed. My friends looked over in alarm. I blushed scarlet, pressing my hands to my mouth to hold back the sobs that were building in my chest. The doctor put his hand on my arm.

"Look," he said. "We're doing everything we can, but his body can't stand this kind of trauma. I'm sorry."

"Don't," I choked out. "Don't apologize to me! Look at them!" I gestured towards my friends. "They've known him for longer. Apologize to Thalia, to Percy, to Frank and Hazel, but don't… _don't apologize to me_."

The doctor seemed disquieted as he said, "Perhaps you ought to bring them over here."

I did. As soon as she heard, Thalia burst into tears. Within seconds, her face was blotchy and her eyes were swollen, tears slid down Percy's face and Leo glanced back at Nico, stricken. It was too much. I'd had enough of this school and its tragedies.

"What?" Nico asked when we returned to stand with him. "You're looking at me like I'm a dead man."

Thalia cried out, burying her face in her hands. Leo sat down next to Nico, taking his hand. Nico's eyes widened.

"How much?" he asked. "How much time have I got left?"

Thalia sobbed. "The doctor told me about six months, maybe seven."

Nico nodded, taking this in calm silence. He turned to Leo and said, "You'd best find yourself a different _petit copain_."

Leo, who had been oddly placid through everything, gasped and sprang to his feet, trying not to cry. Nico turned back to us.

"Do you know what's killing me?"

Percy answered. "Your body can't take all the trauma it's been through these past few months."

Nico wasn't surprised. "Huh," he mused. "Seems fair."

Leo screamed angrily. "I'm going to KILL Castellan!"

"No," Nico asserted. "It wasn't all him. I've been under so much stress, and remember that flu I had last year? I thought _that_ would be the end of me!" He laughed drily. "But, alas, this is."

Leo scowled, tears pouring down his face. "Don't talk like that, Nico. We'll find a way. You're going to be—"

"I'm not going to be fine!" Nico spat. "I'm _dying_, Leo!"

That was what broke Leo. He let out a terrible scream and slammed his hands against the wall. Nico looked like he wanted to cry too, but he was faking some small semblance of a brave face. Thalia had her hands on his shoulders, which clearly made him uncomfortable.

"But it's okay… It's okay, 'cause I'll be with Bianca again."

**A/N: I know this is a really short chapter, but I didn't know what more there was to say. I'm really sorry about this, but it just happened. If there is some way to save Nico's life, I ****_will_**** try to find it, as will the characters, but it seems slightly hopeless right now. If any of you have suggestion, I would love, love, ****_love_**** to hear them!**

**Again, I'm ****_really_**** sorry. **


	16. Chapter 16

Meeting Percy at the lockers became a sad, yet frequent occasion. Nico was no longer with him, or when he was he looked pale and tired. As soon as we learned he was dying, he started to look ill. His skin was ashen, his hair looked brittle, and his eyes were hollow. When he spoke, he sounded like all the fight had gone out of him. But it wasn't until a week later that he started getting headaches.

These headaches weren't just headaches. They left Nico weak and trembling. He would lie in darkness, his thin hand over his eyes, in too much pain even to cry. Percy held me tightly and said he could hardly bear to be there anymore. He would walk into the room and his footsteps, however quiet, were enough to make Nico bite his lip to keep from crying out. Nothing helped. There was no medicine, nothing that would take the agony away.

Eventually, Mr. di Angelo gave us leave to visit him in his room, even us girls. Every day, Thalia would bring him something new: a drawing, a ring, maybe a necklace Bianca had given her. Each time, Nico would wave it away, saying simply, "It's yours; she gave it to you," in his thin, rasping voice.

Some days, Nico would be well enough to go to his classes. Sometimes, these would be many in a row; sometimes they would be fleeting, almost like they were never there at all. On one such day, I came to my locker to find Nico reading a heavy Italian novel, his eyes devouring the words hungrily, like he might never read again.

"Who knows," he said, "when I'll be feeling well enough to look at writing. I had best enjoy it while it lasts."

The only thing that always seemed to help was Leo. Whenever he looked at Nico, Nico smiled. Sometimes, they would share a brief, chaste kiss, their eyes locked together.

"Penny for your thoughts," Percy said when I went to visit him and Nico, resting his hands on my shoulders. His palms were sweaty and his skin was too warm, but I just couldn't shrug him off. Not then.

"How can he do it?" I asked. "How does he act so happy?"

Percy took a sharp, sudden gasp of a breath. "Because…" He faltered. "Because I guess it makes him feel like Nico won't really be gone."

"And you?" I asked. "How are you doing?"

His hands grasped at mine. "I'm breaking, Annabeth," Percy whispered. "Nico's been my friend for _years_. He's like my little brother, and now I'm going to lose him. I… I called my mum this morning. She was devastated. She kept on murmuring 'Oh, my poor baby.' And… I just wished I could reach through the phone and give her a hug."

I ran my hands through Percy's hair, half to soothe him and half to keep myself from going crazy. Percy started to cry, his face buried in my turtleneck sweater. And I just held him. I held him to me and let him cry it out. He cried and cried for what could have been hours, and I held him, making soft shushing sounds as I stroked his hair. His hands clutched on to the back of my sweater like it was a lifeline. His arms were almost crushing. Finally, he let go, looking at me through a haze of tears. When he spoke, his voice was thick and cracking.

"How could this happen to Nico?" he asked, still clutching on to my sweater. "How could this happen to _me_?"

I didn't know the answer. I didn't think _anyone_ knew the answer. But there was no time to answer. As I opened my mouth, the door opened. Nico stood wearily in the doorway, his hand pressed to his eyes. Percy jumped up, running to help Nico to his bed. Nico tried to shrug him off, but he didn't have the strength.

"I'm fine," he said through gritted teeth. "I just need sleep."

He was _not_ fine. As soon as he lay down, he curled up into a ball, trying to keep the pain at bay. I touched his forehead, gasping and pulling my fingers back. He was burning up.

"Percy, get me a thermometer, Leo and Thalia," I ordered. Percy leapt to his feet and ran to the bathroom, tossing me the thermometer. Then he pulled out his phone, stepped into the hall and texted our friends. I turned back to Nico, the thermometer in hand. "Nico, come on. I need to take your temperature and I don't want to hurt you."

Nico moaned something unintelligible. With a sigh, I pried his mouth open and shoved the thermometer under his tongue. After three minutes, I removed it, holding my breath. I didn't think I wanted to see the number.

_103.2_.

"Percy!"

"Yeah?"

"I need you to get a cold cloth. _Really_ cold. And I need you to get me Nico's medicines—the one for fever, yeah, and the one for his migraines. Tell Thalia and the others to hurry."

Within minutes, I had given Nico his medicine and our friends were at the door. It wasn't just Thalia and Leo. It was _everyone_. Hazel, Frank, Piper, Jason and _everyone_. Hazel gasped and buried her face in Frank's shirt. Frank put an arm around her. Thalia reached out to brush Nico's har back from his sleeping face. I handed her the cloth and she took it, gently wiping away the sweat from his forehead. Nico stirred in his sleep, murmuring his dead sister's name. Pain washed across Thalia's pale, pretty face. Piper took my hand kindly.

"Would you like to join me in fetching a bowl?"

"What for?" I asked. Piper gave a breathy laugh.

"We don't have time to keep jumping up to keep the cloth cold. We'll put some ice and water in a bowl, and we'll be set."

Her foresight astounded me. I had never thought Piper was _dumb_, but she had never seemed particularly bright either. She was just there. She was Jason's girlfriend, and I guess I'd never really thought much about her. Maybe, I thought, I might learn more about her on our "quest" for a bowl and ice.

As we ran down the stairs, Piper looked at me quizzically. Her eyes were like kaleidoscopes. "You're very smart," she remarked.

"Pardon?"

A laugh burst from her lips. "I can tell. Do you want to know why I'm here?" She fixed me with a curious stare. I nodded.

"If you'd like to tell me."

By then, we were almost at the kitchen. Piper smiled. "I'll _show_ you." She rounded the bend and I followed her. In the kitchen, there was a tall, scary-looking woman with grey hair and blue eyes. She scowled at us, but Piper didn't even blink. Giving the woman her most charming smile, she asked quietly, "May we have some ice, please? It is _very_ important, and I would just love if you'd let me have it."

The woman went to get it without so much as a question. Piper turned back to me.

"See? People just give me things when I ask for them. I'm manipulative." Off of my stare, she said, "Oh, I would _never_ manipulate our friends. Oh—ice! Thank you."

We ran before the woman could say anything. When we got upstairs with the bowl of ice water, Nico was talking in his sleep.

"_Death will sleep for endless days  
Sky and Love the gods will raise  
And Fire for Death will mourn and cry  
While Wisdom and Sea must say goodbye._"

**A/N: Again, this is ****_not_**** a magical story. Rachel is nuts. Either that, or she has that extra dose of intuition no one else seems to have. But it's not magic. Also, Nico is dying. Don't expect him to make any sense. **

**I'm really sorry about Nico. Again, I'm really sorry. I am still trying to find a way to save him, I promise (or am I?). Just keep reading to find out.**

**Suggestions? How many more chapters do you want to see? What do you think my next story should be? **


	17. Chapter 17

The chilling verse left us stunned. Nico fell back into a deep, quiet sleep, leaving us alone in the dark room. Hazel took her brother's hand, resting it gently on her knee. Thalia reminded us forcefully that Nico was delirious. There was no sense to be made from his words, and none of us should believe it.

"Thalia's right," I agreed. "Both Nico _and_ Rachel weren't in their right minds when they said these… poems… We can't take anything for the truth."

Percy didn't seem too sure. He grabbed my hand and held it tightly, but he didn't say anything. Eventually, we left Thalia, Leo and Hazel in charge of Nico's health and went back to our classes.

For the week following Nico's recitation, we were in and out of class. Nico didn't wake up for longer than to take a sip of water or have the smallest amount of food. He was dehydrated and malnourished, and then, suddenly, he was fine.

The doctors promised us this stretch of health wouldn't last. They also said that Nico shouldn't be left alone anymore. One of us had to be with him at _all_ times. Sometimes, that person was me. In the cafeteria, it was almost always Hazel. During classes, Connor Stoll kept a close watch over Nico. Leo did too. But Nico seemed to be fine. He could walk on his own, talk and listen easily and carry all manner of heavy Italian books. His skin took on a lovely, rosy shade and he gained back some of the weight he had lost.

In that time, Leo looked happier than I'd seen him maybe ever. He and NIco argued at the table about the most ridiculous things, often ending with outcries in both Spanish and Italian. Somehow, seeing so much happiness made the impending heartbreak even more painful. Some nights, we would sit down with Nico and discuss things like funeral arrangements and who wasn't invited.

"I don't want my stepmother to be there," he said. "But I'm not sure my dad would go without her." He glanced at me. "Your opinion?"

"Invite her," I suggested. "Chances are she'll decide not to go, and your dad will go on his own anyways."

Nico nodded, looking back down at the notebook in front of him. Then he looked back up. "Should people speak in English?"

It seemed like a funny question, but I remembered that Nico's family (what was left of it) was predominately Italian. Piper leaned over, studying Nico's scrawling notes. As she did, she muttered to herself.

"I'm pretty sure most people there will prefer English," she remarked. "Oh gods, this is grim."

No one disagreed. Even Nico looked uncomfortable as he flipped the page and continued to scribble things down. After another hour, we called it quits and went to bed.

**O~O~O**

After a while, we received a call saying that Nico would not be going to his classes any longer. Mr. di Angelo had spoken with the doctor, who said Nico could be given extra time in his life if he stayed away from stress. It wasn't much time, only half a year or so, but it was enough. Having Nico for a whole _year_ rather than those six months we were originally promised would be amazing. So we kept Nico away from stress.

One day, as we sat in Percy and Nico's room watching movies and eating all kinds of things parents hate their kids eating (like mass amounts of chocolate), Nico brought up something that I had almost forgotten about.

"Did I recite poetry?" he asked. "You know… when I was unconscious."

Thalia stiffened. "Um, yeah, why?"

"Nothing…" Nico's eyes were far off. "Just… I don't know. By the way, you're not extending my life. I'm going to die in just over five months."

"How do you know?" Hazel cried indignantly. Nico shrugged.

"Rachel called," he said like it was no big deal, reaching for the remote control. "She says I've got just over five months left. So, what're we watching next?"

He was very clearly uncomfortable talking about his death. And yet he was oddly at ease. He let Leo kiss him before looking at the pile of DVDs on the bedside table. I watched him carefully, looking for any sign that he was going to say more. He didn't. Instead, he grabbed some zombie movie off of the table and held it out to Percy, who shoved it into the TV.

About halfway through the movie, Hazel covered her eyes and buried her face in Frank's fluffy blue sweater, Piper kept grimacing, Jason looked downright sick and Percy and Nico were grinning like it was Christmas. I wondered if Nico would make it to Christmas. True, he supposedly had half a year, maybe more left, but maybe not even. Who knew what might happen to him?

"You're staring at me," Nico said. "Stop, please."

Leo looked at me like I'd done something wrong. I hadn't even _realized_ I was staring at Nico until Nico pointed it out!

"Sorry," I murmured. "I do that sometimes."

Nico's face softened. "It's fine. Just don't… don't do it again."

We watched the rest of the movie in silence.

**O~O~O~O**

About a week after the movie, Nico's "prophecy" started to bother me. I remembered what he'd said about Wisdom and Sea, and I wondered if that meant Percy and I. I was in the Logic Olympics, and Percy was in Swimming. So maybe _we_ were Wisdom and Sea. And what did he mean by _must say goodbye_? Would we have to leave our friends? Each other? Our families? I shivered.

"Stupid, Annabeth," I whispered aloud. "It's just crazy person talk."

Percy sat down next to me. "What's just crazy person talk?"

I jumped and began scrambling for an answer. "Uh, well. That's a good question. Crazy person talk is…" I grabbed my French book from the table in front of me and held it up. "This book! It's absolutely nuts. Want to see?"

Percy opened it and looked inside, laughing. "No it's not. It's just French. My mum speaks this stuff. I could call her if you need help."

"That's sweet of you," I said. "But I'm fine. It's just… those damn poems. They're making me nervous and I don't know why."

"Join the club," Percy murmured. Then he looked up, smiling. "Hey, check out the cute new couple!"

Leo and Nico were sitting across the room playing some insanely complicated card game. Nico was gesturing wildly with his hands, something I'd noticed he did often. Percy laughed and told me it ran in his family, and that even Bianca used her hands a lot when she spoke.

"It's dangerous," he said. "If you're talking to Nico for too long, he might accidentally hit you in the face." He rubbed his chin like he was remembering a past strike. "Gods, I'm going to miss him."

I realized then more than ever that I too would miss Nico di Angelo when he was dead and gone.

**A/N: So, some people said I should act on the prophecies if I'm going to make them, and here's my response: ****_Maybe I just like to write poetry_****! Also, someone said: "Wisdom and Sea must say goodbye. Really?" My answer: ****_I can't tell if that's sarcasm, but you'll have to read and find out. This isn't a magical school, but they do seem to take their "prophecies" seriously. _**

**Suggestions? I may or may not take them, but I would love to know what all of you think so far! Also, any ide of what my next story should be? (Not that I'm finishing this one up just yet). **


	18. Chapter 18

No matter how pale and how sick he sometimes looked, Nico always tried to keep a smile on his face. Every day, we'd go up to his and Percy's room to eat lunch and watch movies and do our homework. Nico always helped Hazel with her math, which she had trouble with, and her Italian. I helped Hazel with science and literature, and Percy helped her with art. He had entire sketchbooks full of people. With a smile, I realized I was _everywhere_. On one page, I was brushing my hair back from my eyes, smiling. Only the grey of my irises was colored in and a little bit of my hair. On another, I was standing with Thalia, laughing. There was even one of Nico and I playing a silly card game. I leaned over and whispered in Percy's ear,

"Maybe you should devote a sketchbook to Nico."

Percy peered at me through his long, thick lashes. "Huh?"

"So we can have something to remember him by."

I thought Percy might cry, but he nodded. Taking out a blank book from his bag, he opened to a fresh, white page and began to draw. At first, it was just lines and circles, but soon it was a fourteen year-old boy with black, curly hair, pale skin, dark eyes and a charming smile: Nico di Angelo. In the first drawing, Nico was leaning against his locker, smirking, his eyes murderous. He clutched a huge book to his chest, crossing his arms awkwardly over it. I could almost hear his voice saying, _"I don't like to be stared at. Put down the sketchbook and pencil and back away slowly."_ Again, I realized how much I would miss Nico.

We had five months left, I calculated, give or take a few days. Maybe, if we kept him away from stress, we could have a bit more time, but Nico seemed set on dying in five months. He wanted to live, he told us. He didn't want us to treat him differently just because he _wouldn't_ live.

"I hope I'm sleeping," he confided in Thalia and I. "I don't want to die mid-sentence or gesture. I… I don't want any of you to have to see me die, especially not Percy. He already feels like this is partially his fault. And… the Olympics are so soon. I don't want any of you to miss out."

I'd completely forgotten about the Olympics. Nico smiled knowingly and said, "You should go to the yard. They've probably missed you. You too, Thalia. I'll go with you, if you want, for moral support."

We got up, Nico and Thalia talking aimlessly about different sports and what they were going to do for Christmas. The stairs seemed longer than ever as we walked slowly down them, the flickering lights looking like fairy lights in the darkness. I smiled to myself. If only they_ were_ fairy lights, because then we could save Nico.

Athena was _not_ pleased with me. When I showed up at the station, she said, "Look at you! You're exhausted, girl! How will you fence like _that_?"

Laughing a little, I glanced over at the swimming pool. Percy was hopping up and down, even though he was wearing a full-body wetsuit this time. He looked freezing. Malcolm put a hand on my shoulder.

"Rachel told me you're worried," he said. "She's been a lot better lately."

"Sure," I nodded. "But my friend is dying."

With a sympathetic noise, Malcolm gestured for us to sit down near the gate. Then he started to talk in that quiet voice of his. "I know this seems so abstract. This started out as just a story about high school, and now it's this, but I promise all stories have an end. This one may _feel_ like there's no plotline, but there is. There's wisdom behind everything if you can find it. Maybe this story ends with Nico's death, or maybe that's just the beginning of a story that's yet to be written. But you'll be okay, sweetheart, I promise that too."

I had _never_ heard Malcolm call anyone "sweetheart." I doubted he even called _Will_ that. But it was comforting. He was kind, and I almost felt like we were brother and sister. He looked a bit like me, I thought with a smile. We had fair, curly hair, tanned skin and grey eyes. His cheekbones were high, and his expression was very mature for his age. It was strange how he talked about life like it was a story….

"Great," said a voice behind us. I jumped and turned around. It was Nico di Angelo, glowering and unhappy. "Let's all talk about Nico di Angelo because he's probably not here."

"Nico," I soothed. "We're all just worried about you!"

"NO!" Nico screamed, covering his ears with his hands. "No! No! You're all so… so selfish! You'll all miss me, won't you? But none of you have stopped to think about what _I'm_ feeling? You all think I'm fine with this, don't you? I've been acting like I'm fine, but I'm not! Keeping me away from stress won't help because I'm already stressed out! Annabeth, I'm… I'm scared!" He dropped to his knees, burying his face in his hands. "I've only got _months_ left to see, to hear, to talk, feel, smell, taste! I'm so scared. What if… what if dying hurts? Or what if there's no afterlife and I _won't_ be with Bianca. What if it's just darkness? What if I don't have a soul, or my dad doesn't give me coins to cross the Styx, or—or I'm put into eternal punishment? What if I'm all alone?"

His eyes were red and his face was blotchy from crying. When he stared up at me, he looked so small and broken. I felt Percy's hand on my shoulder and then I saw him kneeling next to Nico. Leo was there too, stroking Nico's hair, hugging him, telling him it would all be okay. Hazel had his hands in hers, murmuring encouraging words, pressing her lips to his pale forehead.

"You won't be alone because _I'll_ always be with you. Remember that day when Dad brought me to live with you guys? I was ten and you were eleven… and you shrieked and cried because you didn't want another sister after Bianca. But after a couple of months, you warmed up to me, remember? And the first time you called me your sister was when you were talking to Percy and you said, 'That's my sister, Hazel.'" Her eyes shone with tears. "And then you stopped, like you couldn't believe you'd just accepted me as your sister."

Nico gave a choked cry, hiding his eyes in Hazel's purple turtleneck sweater. She patted his back, holding him to her like a tiny child. I turned to Percy, my voice barely a whisper.

"We should…" I didn't know what to say. "We should…"

"Shhh." Percy shushed me, cupping my face in his hand. He kissed me. "It's okay. I love you."

Even with Nico's horrible sobs echoing in my mind, I felt like everything would be okay. Love would see us through, _all_ of us. We all had each other, and that was what mattered. Even if Nico didn't have long to live, and even though he was scared and lonely, we would make it through. Somewhere, if there were gods like my friends believed, they were smiling.

**A/N: I promised myself I wouldn't, but this is too funny. I got a review the other day that is as follows: "****_ok im giving up now cuz i have no idea where this story is going, but keep writing. ur amazing with the deets but you got to bring some story line in, kay, honey. aww.. ur so cute. what a amatear."_**

**1. My plots are generally wandering, like my mind. I don't usually have my stories planned out because, honestly, I have a lot of other things I have to do with my life. **

**2. Before you comment on ****_my_**** writing skills, you might want to check that your grammar and spelling is correct. I have no ****_idea_**** what an "amatear" is, but I think this particular anonymous reviewer was trying to say "amateur."**

**3. If you want to call me an amateur, please spell it right. And please don't call me "honey" in a belittling fashion. **

**Sorry if that seemed kind of harsh or made me look like I take criticism badly. I don't usually, but that just annoyed me a little. I work very hard on my writing, and to see someone not only call me an amateur (which I ****_am_**** because I'm by no means professional) as a semi-****_insult_****, but to do so with so little respect for grammar and spelling… Oh my gods. It just made me a bit mad. This person wrote like Drew (the Aphrodite girl)!**

**I'm really sorry about Nico… It just happened. My stories tend to be rather dark, so I guess that's what happened here. **

**Suggestions? Do you think I should make this long or start wrapping it up? Am I just meandering, or is there an actual plot. And do you think the "prophecies" add or detract?**


	19. Chapter 19

After his screaming episode in the schoolyard, Nico took ill again. It wasn't as bad as some of the other times, but it was still scary. When I went to visit him with Hazel and Piper, he was sitting up in bed, staring out the window with tortured eyes. Hazel sat next to him, taking his hand, while Piper and I took chairs by the bookshelf. Nico stared at us before saying,

"Do you want to know where the prophecies come from?"

We nodded, not really sure where this was going. Nico smiled gently and held up the book in his lap. It was small and worn and the name on the cover said _Rachel Elizabeth Dare_. Nico waved it back and forth in his spindly fingers.

"Here," he said. "We've all heard them. It's her poetry book from eighth grade, isn't it?"

Piper frowned. "How did you get that?"

With a smirk, Nico shook his head. "I have my ways. Mostly people are just scared of me."

"And this is relevant _how_?"

"We've all got some kind of, ah, mental wiring that's made us believe these for so long. They freaked us out, and so we tricked ourselves into _making_ them happen."

"So?" Hazel asked. Nico patted her hand in time with his next words.

"So." He drew out the word. "So, so, so. It means this book is full of shit and we've been tricking ourselves into making these damn poems happen."

All three of us gasped. Piper gave Nico a sharp reminder about language and Hazel's hands twitched toward her ears. Nico laughed. I realized something. This meant he had a chance. He might not sleep for endless days! If these poems were just the writings of poor Rachel Dare, locked away in a hospital somewhere. Or was she back at school? I couldn't remember. I hoped she was okay.

Hazel caught on almost exactly after I did. "Then you won't die?"

"No one said that," Nico smiled. "But the doctor _did_ call and say there was a chance. This relapse, however, isn't making it look good." He rubbed his forehead. "Ow."

"Is it bad?" Piper asked, reaching out to feel for a temperature. "You're burning up."

Nico shrugged. "I've gotten used to it. I think the day I _don't_ have a splitting headache is the day we should be worried. And it's fine. It's just the kind of pain that lets me know I'm still breathing, yeah?"

Tears dripped from Hazel's eyes. She wiped at them angrily. Nico realized what he'd said because he took her hand and held it close to his heart.

"You're strong, sister," he said. "Don't give up now."

It was pretty evident that Nico still believed he was going to die. And, to tell the truth, so did I. Saving someone's life wasn't easy, and I still had school to deal with.

Making some excuse, I left to go to my locker. Percy was "waiting" for me, peeling the stickers off his locker and sticking them back on with cinnamon gum. It was just like that first week of school, the one where I pretended to hate him. Now he was my lifeline, and I was his.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," I barely looked up at him. If I did, I would be lost in those beautiful eyes. As if reading my mind, he said,

"You've got great eyes."

"I know," I replied. "You've told me."

Percy frowned. "Did I?" Then he remembered. "Oh yeah, I did. It was that first day, when you hated me. Or did you have a crush on me from the start?"

"Shut up." There was no _way_ I was going to admit it. And I had it on good authority (from the numerous times he fell asleep watching movies) that he _did_ drool in his sleep. He pouted, sticking out his lip and widening those beautiful eyes. He looked like a lost baby seal. It was too cute, and I decided I _had_ to put a stop to it. Fortunately, Percy's attention span wasn't long enough to hold that face, so I didn't have to.

"_I_ had a crush on you," he said. "Did you know that?"

I laughed. "You made it pretty obvious."

He hugged me, picking me up off the ground. I wrapped my arms around his neck, holding on for dear life. Good grief, he was tall! Couldn't he, like, shrink a couple of inches! And he was strong, too. He held me in midair for a couple of minutes, letting me squirm and try to get away. Finally, he gave me a kiss and put me down. I heard a laugh from beside Nico's locker.

"Don't you guys ever tone down the cute?" Leo asked. He was grinning like the Cheshire Cat, his eyes twinkling. I guessed he'd just been to see Nico. He'd probably heard the "good" news. Coupled with Nico's pessimism, however, I didn't know How Leo was holding a smile on his face. I asked him if Hazel was still there, and he nodded. "Yeah. Won't let Nico alone. She keeps telling him he's going to be all right. I'm not so sure he will. Those poems…"

"They're eerie," Percy agreed. "Remember that one in eleventh grade…?" They both shuddered.

"Well, I was a year below you, but yeah. The one that said: _Fire has burned through its mother's embrace, and Wisdom will come in the name of a chase…_" He trailed off, looking at me. "Oh, gods."

Percy took a sharp breath. "She could have known that Annabeth was transferring. How long has your dad been planning this?"

I shrugged. "Forever, I think. I found some applications from two years ago. Apparently he had a spot and was just waiting for the last straw. I guess that fight was it." I added for Leo's benefit, "I got into a couple of fistfights at school. Nothing big."

"So she could have known you were coming? She was always getting caught sneaking around, looking through files and stuff. She was a bit of a weirdo. Sweet, but weird. She never meant anything by looking at the papers. She just had bad feelings about everything."

Percy didn't look convinced. "Yeah, but that's a little _too_ weird. None of you believe in ghosts?"

Leo and I shook our heads. Percy seemed hurt, like it was a personal attack, but he backed down.

"How much longer has Nico got?" I asked. Leo winced.

"Four months, I think. What are you planning?"

I smiled widely. "Follow me. If we can't save him, we can keep his memory alive another way. But it's going to take _all_ of us."

**A/N: Sorry for the wait. I hope this chapter makes up for some of my convoluted plot, misleading summary and oddly placed poems. I just really, really like writing prophecies. And… my muse takes me down odd paths. I hope you all like it, though, and I try to keep my grammar and spelling in order!**

**Any suggestions for what I ought to do next? Or you can just leave a review with polite, helpful feedback (and I won't say no to praise.)**


	20. Chapter 20

Our project was a big one. We set up cameras to record our conversations, making sure Nico didn't know they were there and wouldn't see them. Percy drew tirelessly, capturing every smile, every frown, every wild, Nico-like hand gesture. Hazel set about writing down things we all loved about Nico, and Piper busied herself designing a photo scrapbook. I was in charge of helping Nico with his funeral plans, and Leo was busy building something secret and special. None of us knew what it was. Jason was mostly moral support, as was Frank. But I suspected they had their own jobs too. Nico didn't catch on.

One day, we were reading and listening to music when Leo leaned over and kissed Nico. It was the first time I'd seen them kiss in a while. But I didn't comment on it. I knew their relationship was going through turbulence, what with Nico's illness and Leo's schoolwork, so it wasn't surprising that they were avoiding PDAs.

Nico gave Rachel's notebook to me, and I was instructed to look through it. At first, I felt bad. This was Rachel's stuff, her poetry. Poetry was a personal thing, not something people usually liked to share. But it was important. I needed to know more about her and more about how she was tricking people into acting them out.

_Wisdom and Sea together at last  
Death will die before Fire can grasp  
The love that Sky and Beauty feel  
While the Golden One's world will be set to reel_

Well, I was obviously Wisdom, Percy was Sea, Piper was Love/Beauty, Jason was Sky and Leo was Fire. Nico _had_ to be Death and Hazel had to be the Golden One. But how did Rachel know more than everyone else? How had she placed these seeds of doubt and mystery in everyone's minds?

_Lies that the Oracle tells  
Bind them all in an unending spell  
Wisdom will find the key to the curse  
While Death's last breath will end the verse_

Was I _supposed_ to have the book? Did Rachel _plan_ for me to see this? The handwriting on the last set of lines was different, neater, more mature. It was like she'd written it as an added thought, the appendix of a long, convoluted novel or series (like _Lord of the Rings_). True. I was the one who told my friends these weren't real. I was the one who could solve the riddles set for us by this insane girl. And Nico was dying. Did that mean the chilling rhymes would stop? Would Rachel stop writing when he stopped breathing? I had to talk to her.

Finding her whereabouts was the difficult part. When I got to her room, her roommate—Katie Gardner—told me she was still in the hospital, raving mad. It took nearly half an hour to convince Mr. di Angelo to let me visit her and nearly an hour to get to the hospital due to train delays. By the time I got there, the doctors were reluctant to let me in.

"Please," I begged, trying to sound desperate, which wasn't too hard. "I _need_ to see her. She… she's the only one who can explain."

"Explain _what_?" the doctor asked, but he gave me permission to go in. As soon as I stepped through the door, I saw her and my mouth fell open in horror.

It was Rachel Elizabeth Dare all right. But she was changed. Her red hair hung around her pale, freckled face like vines. She played absently with strands of it, twisting it around her thin fingers, talking quietly to herself. I was almost too afraid to approach.

"Rachel?" I called. She didn't answer. "Rachel, are you in there?"

She looked up at me, wide eyed. "_Wisdom…"_ she murmured. "_will find the key to the curse_."

I nodded, talking to her like I might talk to a small, frightened child. "Yeah. I found the key, Rachel. _You're_ the key. Am I right?"

Rachel laughed, high and eerie, like the giggles from those horror movies Nico loved to watch. "Key, key, key," she sang. "Like Dawn."

"Dawn?' I asked, vague recollections of what she was trying to say swimming around in my brain. "Why dawn?" Then it hit me. "Not dawn… _Dawn_."

Another giggle burst from her lips, then another and another and another. She melted into a fit of giggles and handed me a slip of paper. It was frayed and crumpled, a bit damp from being clenched in a sweaty fist, but I could still see Rachel's writing. As I was about to read it, she stopped me.

"No. Read it _there_." She meant school. "It will mean more there."

I wasn't going anywhere, so I placed the paper carefully in my pocket, right next to my phone. Assuming I didn't fall into any puddles, it would be fine. Rachel, sensing I wasn't leaving, patted the bed next to her. I sat down warily. My breath caught in my throat. She leaned close to my ear, whispering another poem.

_Seek out, Wisdom, the Oracle's word  
Find what you look for and safely return  
To the tower of knowledge that now you call home  
But what you find shall leave you chilled to the bone_

Gasping, I sprang up. What was she saying? I tried to ask her, but she was gone, lost in another world. The doctor shooed me out, telling me she needed rest. I tried to protest, but I knew he was right, and I knew something else. My friends were in danger. Rachel wasn't working alone. There were other people helping her, people who believed in her poems as much as she did. My thoughts flashed to Luke, who had pushed Nico into the locker, thus sealing his fate. And there was Malcolm, soft spoken and kind, who had told me her "prophecies" always came true. And the teachers. None of them had done anything the day I found her in the hall. They hadn't tried to stop her or any of these things from happening. Oh no. Oh no, no, no! _The Olympus Institution For Troubled Youth_ wasn't just a school… it was a prison, one intended to drive me insane. My dad hadn't sent me there for a year or two. It was for forever.

I raced through the streets, desperate to get back before anything could happen. But I was low on time. It was dark already and the trains were all shut down. Weird, I thought, that this should be the day I needed time. The city seemed dead around me, a ghost town. As I ran, it started drizzling, but eventually even that turned against me. By the time the looming height of the school came into view, it was pouring and I was soaked through completely. I remembered the piece of paper in my pocket and prayed that my phone had taken most of the damage.

The halls were quiet—quieter than they had been that first fateful day. I held my breath, racing for the stairs, running up them like my life depended on it, which might easily have been the case. When I got to Percy and Nico's dorm floor, I heard it: a low keening sound, like crying. I pulled out the piece of paper, my heart thumping. It was hardly touched by the rain. Rachel's cursive scrawled across the page.

_While Wisdom seeks the Oracle's aid  
Endless sleep Death's soul will raid  
Fire will weep and the Gold One will cry  
And then comes Wisdom's final goodbye _

But another handwriting was there too, just under hers. _My regards, Annabeth. Luke_.


	21. Chapter 21

_My regards, Annabeth. Luke_. Luke! I practically spat on the paper. I should've known Luke had something to do with it when he pushed Nico into the locker! He was part of Rachel's posse, part of the reason this school was such a damn mess. I hated myself for ever blushing at his name.

Another wail made me remember my friends. I took off down the hall, running in the general direction of Percy's door. I fell through it, tumbling to the ground in a mess of blonde curls and curses. As I fell, there was no laugher, no wisecrack from Leo, no joke, nothing. It was absolute, perfect silence as soon as I hit the carpet. If someone had dropped a pin, I would have heard it hit—no, I would have heard it whistling through the air and _then_ I would have heard it hit the carpeted floor. _That's_ how quiet it was.

Even though I wanted to stay there, wrapped in my soaking wet sweater, hidden by my hair, I couldn't. I got up, not even daring to check for injuries, though my ankle felt weak and like someone was sticking it with pins, and looked around at my friends. What I saw nearly knocked me unconscious.

Nico was lying in bed, his eyes closed, pale and still as the grave… the grave… oh, gods. His chest wasn't moving—he wasn't breathing! Leo was kneeling on the ground next to the bed, his head in his hands, letting out the same keening sound I had heard from the hall. Hazel hid her face in her arms, kneeling next to Leo, sobbing. Frank wasn't comforting her. Everyone was in utter shock. A tear dripped down Thalia's cheek, followed by another, and another. They were like tiny streams ending in a waterfall at her chin and soaking into the collar of her shirt. She was perfectly still, except for those tears, not even moving to wipe them away. Piper stood behind her, one hand gripping the back of her chair. Tears dripped from her eyes too, but far more slowly, like she had already cried too much to cry any more. Jason had her other hand in a limp grasp. His jaw was clenched so tightly I could almost hear his teeth grinding together. Percy was kneeling a few feet away, his hands clasped on the ground between his knees, looking anguished and alone. His face and eyes were red, like the salty tears had left scorch marks on his skin. His sketchbook lay in front of him, an unfinished drawing of Nico streaked and running with tears.

Not a sound, I thought. I couldn't make any noise. No. I would wake up Nico. I would… I would… Why were they crying? Should I comfort them? Say something? No. No! I would wake up Nico, remember? But he was sleeping so deeply, maybe I could talk quietly. Maybe… Maybe I could talk without waking him up. Maybe I could get everyone out. How long had I been standing there? A minute, an hour, a lifetime? Where was I before? If I'd just walked in, where was I before? Oh… the… the hospital. I was at the hospital visiting my friend. No. Not my friend. Rachel Dare. Not my friend. Not my friend. Not my… friend. Where was I supposed to go? Was I supposed to say something? No! NO! Was Leo crying? Yes. Why? Was he hurt? Why wasn't Nico waking up?

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt the breath leave my lungs. My ankle went numb and my knees buckled. The ground rushed up to meet me and I didn't resist. I sat there, staring at Nico, at his cold, still form. He wasn't Nico any more, I thought. He was just a… just a body. The thought made me sick. Just a body. Just a body. It wasn't Nico anymore… just a… body.

Someone had called 911 because the ambulance showed up a few minutes later. We watched numbly as they tried to revive Nico to no avail. Then they took him away in their ambulance. No one moved. No one talked. The paramedics told us they couldn't pronounce him dead for sure until they got him back to the hospital. But they didn't sound so sure. They said they couldn't say it until they got _the body_ back to the hospital. The body… Nico was just a body.

Leo looked up as they took him away. Brokenly, he started murmuring something that sounded like _I love you_ over and over, drumming on the mattress with his fingers. Morse Code, I thought. It was Morse Code. Leo continued, still muttering and crying. This seemed to stir everyone else into action too. Thalia started fumbling with the necklace around her neck—Bianca's necklace—and Piper started running her hands absently along the back of the chair. Jason squeezed her shoulders like he was trying to squish the grief out of her pores. Hazel got up and wrapped her arms around Frank, who held her close. The only people who didn't move were Percy and I. We stared at each other emptily, and I knew this was going to be it. _And then comes Wisdom's final goodbye_. Rachel had set it all up so perfectly, hadn't she? If I hadn't come to this school, wouldn't Nico have been okay? Percy wouldn't have fallen in love with me, and he wouldn't have gone through all that stress and pain. He wouldn't have died if not for me.

Shakily, I clambered to my feet. The shock was still enough to make my ankle numb as I limped from the room with one purpose in mind. This was my final goodbye. Everything was my fault. I had to make it so it would never be my fault again. I owed it to… to Nico and Percy and Thalia. I owed it to Hazel and Leo, who loved Nico more dearly than I would ever know. I had to say goodbye.

The roof was cold and dark, but that didn't matter. It would be even darker where I was going now. And I knew my way to the edge well enough.

The last thing I did was text Percy _goodbye_.

**A/N: This is not the end. It was going to be, but it was emotionally too much for me as the writer. So I'm going to add another, final chapter or two. **


	22. Chapter 22

_"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." – Gandalf _

Percy's phone buzzed in his pocket, shaking him out of his shock. He opened it, staring blindly at the message on the screen until… _Goodbye_. That was Annabeth's number! That was her name on the contact bar, wasn't it? What was she…? Oh, no, no, no.

"Annabeth!" he muttered, pushing himself to his feet. His friends stared at him, but it didn't matter. It would only matter once he knew Annabeth was okay. His heart beat like a drum, keeping time with his running feet as he raced up the stairs to the roof. He didn't know how he knew she would be there, but he had a bad feeling. Of course, that bad feeling was right.

When he got to the roof, he was just in time to see her fall.

"ANNABETH!" he screamed, racing to the edge, looking down. She was just out of reach, falling, her blonde hair blown by the wind, her eyes open and staring at the receding sky. "Annabeth, NO!"

He swung himself over the ledge, onto the fire escape. The stairs trembled as he raced down them. They hadn't been used in years. Still… they were the only things that would get him to Annabeth in time.

When Percy reached the bottom, Annabeth was there. Her arm was twisted at an odd angle and she was barely breathing, if at all. When he touched her cheek, her skin was already losing its warmth and color with the blood that seeped out of a wound on her head. Her hair was stained crimson with it.

"Annabeth…" Percy murmured, tears stinging his eyes. "Annabeth, please. I never had a chance to say… I… I love you." He kissed her, even though she would never know, holding her close to his heart. It started to rain, washing away the blood, but not the heartache.

It wasn't until morning that the others found them. When Thalia saw Annabeth's body she screamed, her hands flying to her mouth. Hazel looked sick, pressing her hands to her heart. Leo just stared. Was this his part of the prophecy? Fire's victory? He didn't want this kind of a victory. Piper and Jason clung tighter to each other, as if afraid of the same fate. If Nico had been there…

Suddenly, Annabeth coughed. Blood bubbled to her lips, dripping down her chin. Percy nearly dropped her.

"Thalia, call 911! Leo, help me keep her from moving. Piper, talk to her, okay? Jason, when the ambulance gets here, help them in any way possible. Annabeth… Annabeth, stay with me, okay? Stay with me. Don't go to sleep again."

"Where…" Annabeth's voice was barely a whisper, filled with pain and approaching death. Her eyes flickered shut, but Percy's voice seemed to stop her.

"No, Annabeth. I love you. Stay with me. We'll, um, have Rachel arrested, okay? She won't get away with this. Are you…" He paused. "Are you in pain? Gods, I wish I could make the pain stop."

Piper knelt next to them. Her voice was like honey as she spoke.

"Annabeth? Are you in there, Annabeth? Okay, sweetie. Keep your eyes on me. Don't go to sleep, honey, 'cause you might not be able to wake back up. There'll be some people here to help you any minute now—JASON, HOW'S IT GOING?—and you'll be okay."

Jason glanced over. "They're here. They'll get her. Go get changed, Pipes, you're covered in blood. We'll meet you guys at the hospital."

He followed the medics and Annabeth to the ambulance. Percy and the rest slowly stirred to life. Leo smiled sadly.

"All of this for Nico." His phone buzzed. Carelessly, he flicked it open. "Speak of the devil… Wait—WHAT? Hello? H—oh my gods. Nico, are you all right? You were dead for _how_ long, exactly? And you're allowed to call me? You are a _horrible_ boyfriend, okay?" He was crying. "I thought… I thought… I… I love you."

From the breathy laugh on the other end of the line, Thalia knew Nico was still in shock. She smiled. Leo's face was a mixture of incredible joy and unbelievable pain. He made some joke about never talking to Nico again, but she knew he was grasping at straws. Because that was how she'd felt when Bianca died. But Bianca hadn't come back. Leo had Nico, while Thalia would never ever see Bianca again.

Percy grabbed the phone, holding it to his ear. "Hey, Nico? Annabeth'll be there soon. You keep an eye on her for me, okay?"

"Where are you?" Nico asked, his voice rough and quiet. Percy grinned in spite of his worries.

"I've got to go change. I'm covered in blood. I'll see you soon."

Nico laughed bemusedly. "You're covered in blood?" A gasp. "Annabeth—is she—?"

"She's going to be fine. She, ah, jumped off the roof."

Leo took the phone back and Percy ran to get dressed. The elevator took him to the fifth floor and he ran up to his dorm on the tenth. The shower was cold, which Percy didn't really mind, but he was worried. Every second he spent washing blood off of his clothes and out of his hair, Annabeth could be dying. How did he know she wasn't dead already?

"Hey, Percy, let's go!" Thalia called, banging on the door. He ran out, grabbing a jacket from the hook by the door. It was the same jacket he'd been wearing when he and Annabeth had shared their first kiss. How fitting.

The hospital let them in without a fuss. Percy wondered if they'd gotten used to their presence. When they saw the group of teens, they smiled a little and shared knowing looks. Percy grinned lopsidedly.

"We're here for Miss Annabeth Chase and Mr. Nico di Angelo," Thalia said. The doctor laughed gently.

"I figured as much," he replied. "Look, I don't know how you kids did it, but I'm almost ready to offer you your own jobs. I mean, you practically _live_ here anyways! You pulled Mr. di Angelo from the doors of death, and Miss Chase too. Without you all, they would be dead now."

"Nico _was_ dead," Hazel protested.

"Well, yes. But we managed to revive him. Your brother will be fine for now."

Percy didn't like the sound of that, but he knew enough to keep his mouth. They had friends to see.

**A/N: Obviously, I couldn't have this chapter in Annabeth's point of view, so here's a third person chapter. Enjoy it while it lasts!**

**I know it was a cheap trick saving them all like that, but I honestly sat in front of my computer crying until I wrote this and changed the fate of the characters. I felt ****_insanely_**** guilty doing that to you, lovely readers!**

**The next chapter will be the last one, I think, so I need suggestions for my next story!**


	23. Chapter 23

I spent a good portion of my winter and spring breaks in the hospital with Nico. We discussed everything from Percy to movies to music. Nico taught me Italian and I taught him what I knew of Greek. Nico was in and out of unconsciousness and I was healing two broken arms, a broken leg, another broken knee and shattered collarbones. I had fractures in my back and skull and there had been some internal bleeding. At first, no one had thought I was going to make it. And no one had thought Nico was going to make it.

The first time I woke up, I saw Percy, Thalia, Piper, Jason, Hazel, Frank and Leo leaning over me. Percy grinned when he saw my eyes flicker, pumping his fist in the air.

"YES!" he cried. "She's up!"

I winced. Percy got the message and lowered his voice. Leo hopped around, trying to be as quiet as possible, singing something through the music blaring from his headphones. Nico stirred in the bed next to mine, propping himself up on his elbows.

"Leo?" he called. Leo pulled off his headphones and leaned over him. "You're here?"

"Of course I am!" Leo confirmed. Nico leaned up to kiss him, but Leo shook his head. "Can't risk giving you germs. Believe me, I want that kiss as much as you do, but it'll have to wait."

Percy touched my shoulder, one of the only parts of me I hadn't broken. His fingers were light and warm, careful not to hurt me. I smiled around the pain in my face. It was like every muscle in my body had been dipped in hot, corrosive acid, covered in tar and placed back behind my skin. It was awful. I knew Nico probably felt the same. He'd actually been dead.

**O~O~O~O**

When I left the hospital for good, it was already the end of the year. The kids involved with Rachel's schemes were long gone, taken to their homes or to hospitals. Luke was arrested. Mr. di Angelo seemed happier than I'd ever seen him as he embraced Nico for the first time in months.

The All School Olympics were long over, but Athena gave me a hug and a "Next year, hmm?" I nodded, smiling through a haze of tears. This was the closest I'd ever felt to having a mother.

"Did we win?" I asked. She shook her head, a smile touching her lips too.

"Sadly, with you and Nico di Angelo gone, it was difficult. Percy Jackson's heart was not in it either. Next year." She walked away, humming to herself. My heart felt all warm and fuzzy.

Percy took his chance to wrap his arms around my waist, being careful not to squeeze too hard, as I was still prone to chronic aches and pains from my fall. The painkillers helped, and I was on medications so I wouldn't try any stunts like that again, but I could tell how worried he was.

Leo was more than happy to have Nico back. He was ecstatic. When he first saw him walk through the door, the tackle-hugged him, which nearly knocked Nico off his feet. For the first time in a really, really, really long time, they shared a kiss in front of everyone. It was, I had to admit, pretty adorable. Every time they kissed after that, Percy would lean in close, kiss me, and say,

"It's a competition, Annabeth. I can feel the competition in the air."

"What?" I asked. "Who can be the most affectionate? That doesn't seem their style."

Thalia went back to her usual old self, almost as if nothing had ever happened. Our routine of going through her scrapbooks started up again and she would sit on my bed with a box of tissues, wiping away stray tears as she talked about Bianca. Finally, he leaned her head on my shoulder and took a deep breath.

"Annabeth," she whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Would you be surprised if I said I l-loved Bianca?"

I shook my head. "No," I assured her. "No, I really wouldn't."

We put all of Percy's drawings into a portfolio and labeled it _THE DISASTER YEAR._ Sometimes, in those last few weeks, we just sat and went through it, recalling every little thing Nico did. We even watched the videos of our conversations and looked through the funeral plans, laughing. But in our laughter, there was pain. Who knew how much longer Nico would really last. A year? Two? Ten? Maybe he'd last until he was ninety-two and all the rest of us were dust, but who could be sure?

"Oh!" Thalia cried, pointing to a drawing of Nico scowling. "Was that when I told him he was reverting to his old self?"

Nico nodded, flushed and giggling, tears gathered in the corners of his dark, tortured eyes. But they didn't seem so tortured anymore, did they? "I… I think so," he managed.

Piper pointed to a drawing of him lying in bed, tossing a rubber ball at the ceiling. "Gods, I remember that! You got bored with one of those horror movies we had to sit through, and so you started terrorizing the upstairs neighbors. I'm going to miss this,"

Leo grinned, kissing Nico. "Wow. I guess this is our last day together for the year, huh?"

Percy frowned. "I'm a senior," he said. "I'll be leaving. Unless..." He flipped open his phone. "Yep. We've all been held back. Looks like I've got another year of high school ahead of me."

My eyes widened. I'd been threatened with being held back, but I'd never actually _been_ held back! What was I going to tell my dad? Did he already know? Was this part of the master plot to keep me out of the house? Still, the thought made me smile. Another year with my friends and then I could go out into the world. I didn't need my old family because I had a new one.

On the last day of school, as we said our goodbyes, Thalia hugged me tightly.

"You can stay with Percy and I," she offered. "His mum won't mind. Sally's the _sweetest_ woman you'll _ever_ meet."

Percy nodded. "Please? I've called and everything. It's all set up. She _really_ wants to meet you."

"Sure. I can stay for a while, at least. I'll have to call my dad," I said, nodding dazedly. At the end of the day, this was all I could ask for. I had a new family, a boyfriend I loved more than anything, a new school that I hadn't been thrown out of day one, and I had something else. I had a survival story. I'd been through a lot, and I'd still lived. I had the scars to prove it and the crooked nose too, but I was okay. I'd taken life on and I'd won. What more could I ask for?

Of course, summer hadn't really started yet… and don't get me started on the next school year. There was a lot left for me to do and learn, but that was a story for another time.

**A/N: The end, lovely readers! Questions, comments? Leave them in the reviews!**

**Any ideas for what my sequel ought to be (if I ought to write one)? Should I do a story where they've started their lives in the world (jobs, families, marriage etc)?**


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